Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye
by Kris-dragon
Summary: With their world nearly taken over by the Decepticons, the Autobotsventure into the stars to find a sanctuary and new energon source. What little do they know is that their war will only bring them to the world with new allies. Will the Autobots win the Great War... or face ultimate defeat? Elements of Transformers Prime are in. Pairings considered!
1. Prologue

**-00-**

**Prologue**

The universe is a massive place, inhabited by the uncounted numbers of live forms. Some are seemingly common and some are very unique. One life form inhabits a very unique planet far in the furthest reaches of the galaxy. A silver planet of metal and energy.

Cybertron.

It is a home of the race of sentient machines, capable of transformation into a near any vehicle known. These robotic beings were once a peaceful race, enjoying nothing more than living in paradise.

But that ended millenias ago. Now their world is a near wasteland planet, ravaged of its great resources of energon, their fuel, due to the worldwide civil war between two fractions- Autobots and Decepticons.

The Autobots are a peace loving robots, originally scientists and maintenance bots. Ever since the start of the Great War, they had to learn the ways of combat. Combining that with their intelligence, the Autobots fight for their freedom. Their great leader, Sentinel Prime, who led them at the very beginning, was brutally killed. Now, it is upon his successor, the legendary Optimus Prime, to end this oilshed.

The Decepticons, on the other hand, are constructed soldiers. Brutal and sadistic, they will show no mercy to anyone. Leading them is the one named Megatron Absolute, once a great hero of the war that preceded this one. But he returned from it different. Cold, maniacal, psychotic, power hungry. Now, sitting upon his throne in Kaon, Megatron oversees and leads his troops more and more with each planetary cycle towards the capital of his enemies, Iacon. His goal- free all Cybertronians of the 'illusion' of freedom.

And he might just succeed.

As the energon supplies are low, and mostly in the possession of the Decepticons, the Autobots are upon extinction. If they are to survive, if their entire race is to survive, a new source of energon needs to be found soon.

Optimus has a plan, but he still needs one last component if he is to make it reality.


	2. 01 New World- part 1

**-01-**

**New world**

**- Part 1-**

He was watching. The red giant was focusing his optics on the barricade far in the distance. He was watching and waiting for the arrival of the team he sent for this mission- a dangerous one at that. The team's mission was to retrieve a device that would allow their ship to leave their planet. It was the most advanced supercomputer on Cybertron, which they had to take from the most heavily guarded facility on Cybertron- Dungeon. Optimus sighed heavily. It's been several cycles and there was still no word from the team. What's worse, The Decepticons were attacking again. This was happening all the time lately. The leader of the Autobots wondered if the defense would provide an opening. They really needed that component. He turned around to look at the huge, gold-and-silver cruiser in the middle of Iacon- the last free city. The ship, the Ark, was their last hope. Optimus knew that with all the energon supply under the Decepticons' control it was only a matter of time before they win. So they needed to leave. They needed to find another world where they could come with new energy source if they were to ever have a chance to counter. But in order for this plan to work, they needed the device.

"Optimus? You online, Big Bananas?" a voice called from behind him. The red-and-blue giant turned around to find a white-and-black Autobot approaching him. He was rather slim, aside for his shoulders. Also, he had a visor for optics. He jumped towards Optimus, landing next to him. "Your processor seems to be defragmenting someplace else."

"I am fine, Jazz." The Last of the Primes answered, looking back at the golden gate, where he hoped for the return of his troops.

Jazz seemed to figure out what was his leader thinking about and smiled. "No worries, Fearless Leader. I'm sure Ironhide and his gang will report soon. Just give them a nano-click." Optimus knew how optimistic his second-in-command was. And he knew it was because he had confidence. Prime nodded in approval. "Besides, they know what'll happen if we don't leave Cybertron. So they take it seriously. I for one know they won't fail."

"They chose to participate on this assignment on their own free will. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. And I respect that, though I am uncomfortable putting their lives in danger." Optimus replied, with both wisdom, and sadness. Jazz placed his servo on the leader's shoulder.

"No worries, Optimus. This is our freedom we fight for. So this is our decision. And you should be proud to have such loyal companions."

Optimus looked at his first lieutenant for a while. Then he turned his optics towards the walls, where the battle continued. Despite having a faceplate, Jazz could tell by the way it 'shifted' that the Autobot leader was smiling.

* * *

**Borders of Kaon, Dungeon Research Facility**

The three Autobots were leaning against the wall, glad to have a nano-click to rest. Why? Because this mission turned out far more difficult than they anticipated. The entrance was already a hard deal, since the only sure way in was through the exhaust pipes, which would let out extreme flames. The gap between them was extremely small, yet they managed. But then, they were attacked. The guards managed to find them quite fast for all their stealth. Though Arcee, the female Autobot, suspected Hot Ride to be at fault. After all, he was hotheaded and prideful enough to put aside the importance of their mission. But Ironhide, their leader, managed to call them order. They were fighting their way through the facility, beating every follower of Megatron. Then they ran into that one particular room. The only thing that caught their interest was something called 'Project: Tripticon'. They never managed to learn more however, as Straxus, the 'Con who ran the facility attacked them, killing the fourth member, Gears. They wanted to fight back, but it was futile. Straxus proved to be too powerful of an opponent. Eventually, they were beaten and caught.

They were imprisoned. But Arcee was able to free herself using her cyber-ninjatraining. Once freed, they made their way towards their destination. Now, as they reached it, they were resting after a tiresome fight with the guards. Luckily, no alarm was sounded. Ironhide, the big, red Autobot weapon specialist, approached the small, square-like device in the middle of the room. He took a moment to analyze it along with the pedestal it was placed on. He did not want to deal with a trap.

"What's taking so long, sergeant?" Hot Ride asked. "Just grab the gizmo 'n' let's blow this joint."

Arcee sighed heavily as she shook her head, loosing what patience she had. "Listen, Hot Ride. We already have enough trouble as it is. All we need now is another round with Straxus."

"Bring it on. Last time he was lucky. And I'm ready for a rematch."

"Quiet, you two!" Ironhide said with a commanding voice, like a sergeant. "I'm trying not to miss anything!" he returned to the device. After a few nano-clicks, and what seemed to be random touching, he finally grabbed the cube and ran towards the door. "Got it. Now escape this place and return to Iacon!"

"Yes, sir!" both the cyber-ninja and the soldier replied and transformed, following their leader. Unfortunately, Straxus himself found them in the hallway. But Ironhide didn't stop. He just accelerated and rammed the hulking Decepticon officer. The three 'Bots, rather than messing around, decided to take the short cut and ran through the window. Straxus roared in rage and followed them, transforming into a cybertronian tank. Apparently he was blinded with rage, as his shots were far from hitting them. The red sergeant transformed into his bipedal form, passing the component to Arcee, and the 'backpack' transformed into two cannons, which now mounted his shoulders. He took his aim, carefully. He wanted to make this shot count. He always made it count. He smirked and opened fire. He hit the bull's eye. Then transformed back into his vehicle mode and followed his companions. Straxus managed to pull himself together and again roared in rage. He followed them without realizing someone was following him. A small, bird-like Cybertronian drone.

* * *

**Iacon**

The Autobots continued on defending their borders. This strike was hard. Maybe Megatron saw through their scheme. But it couldn't be. Jazz ordered another team to regroup at the gate. He wanted to make sure that Ironhide's team would have a way to enter. Then he saw the plasma cannon land not far from the walls. But it wasn't aiming for the gate. The lieutenant figured out what it was aiming for- the Ark. While the other who figured it out started panicking or dashing onto the Decepticons head on, he kept his cool, trying to come up with the plan. Then he saw something in the distance. Three familiar vehicles. Jazz noticed then a tank following them, as well as the bridge to the gate swarming with the Decepticons. He looked at the cannons again and smirked. "Optimus? This is Jazz! We've got a situation 'ere! How are the shields around the Ark?"

"_They are low on power. They will last merely one shot at best._" He heard Optimus answer through the comm-link.

"That's all I need." He answered and dashed towards the walls. Then he jumped onto one of the missiles launched by the Autobots. One that would surely carry him near the plasma cannon. As he jumped off, while making some acrobatics, the cannon fired. The Jazz fired his grappling hook to the weapon and pulled himself to it. He landed just as the shot hit the Ark, destroying the shield protecting it.

Luckily, that's all he needed. He entered the control room and took down the Decepticons using his energon balisword and his energy mini-gun. "I hate burning bridges… but this time I'll make an exception." He commented to himself.

The Decepticon army continued and pressed their attack on the bridge, just as some of them got hit from behind. They turned around to find Ironhide and his team dashing towards them. But it wasn't them shooting at them- it was Straxus. His shots were powerful enough to take down a group of soldiers. The Autobots took advantage of it and broke through and onto the bridge. Straxus stopped and transformed to his robot form, continuing fire. Then he bashed a few Decepticons. "What are you doing, fools? GET THEM!"

"But, major, sir? We were ordered by Megatron to…" one of the troopers tried to explain their orders, only to be shot at.

"FORGET MEGATRON! ATTACK! ATTACK!" he roared. Out of fear or not, the troops dashed onwards, shooting at the three Autobots. Then they saw the plasma cannon taking its aim at the bridge. "Attention plasma cannon operator! This is Straxus! Blow the three Autobots on the bridge out of existence! That's an order!" To smirked as he saw the cannon charging. This was the end for the Autobots. At least he thought so, until he noticed the cannon aiming at the troops. He wanted to demand an explanation, but didn't have the time. It fired. The troops and the bridge were exploding. The rage filled Decepticon officer focused his optics on the cannon, noticing an Autobot jumping out of it and jumping onto one of the 'Con fliers to get to Iacon. Straxus exploded with rage again when he saw the three Autobots he was chasing entering their city. As he was being shot at, he evacuated.

Arcee and Hot Ride did a high five, cheering, while Ironhide made his way towards Optimus's current location.

"That was awesome." Hot Ride commented.

"That was so cool!" the silver-and-pink femme followed. "The 'Cons were all like 'Scrap, what's going on?' Ha ha. Wish I could see their faces up close."

Then something hit the ground, hard and exploding. Before anyone could ask anything, Jazz landed between them. Once he stood up, he dusted himself, 'fixed' his visor and approached the two young Autobots. "Well, sorry, li'l bot. I wanted to get you one, but got broken." He commented coolly. Arcee ran up to him. Then she stopped and bowed before him.

"Lieutenant." She started. "We did it."

"Well, I certainly hope so. Otherwise you'd be my worst student in link-jutsu, Arcee." The cool Autobot replied with a joking tone and patting Arcee on the shoulder. Then he turned his attention towards Hot Ride. "Don't be so down, soldier. You'll do something great too."

"Thank you, Jazz." Hot Ride thanked.

"Anyway, what's so important about this trinket?" Arcee asked.

* * *

**Kaon, Megatron's throne room**

"It's a supercomputer, which can easily calculate how much energon the resources on the other planet can provide us. It can also perform highly difficult operations within nano-clicks instead of few clicks, and you allowed the Autobots to TAKE IT?!" the dark figure did not bother to hide his anger. He kept rose from his throne. Despite being in the shadows, everyone could tell he was a powerful build Cybertronian, with large feet, broad shoulders and a fusion cannon mounted to his right arm, looking like a second forearm. But the most significant feature was his helmet, which appeared like a Decepticon insignia itself. The red optics flared with anger at Straxus, who just stepped forward.

"Lord Megatron. It's the troops' fault. They…" he tried to explain himself, but was cut off when he got shot. Megatron stepped down halfway the stairs of his throne, before his cannon detached from his forearm.

"They followed my orders of destroying the Ark, which is now most likely capable of leaving this planet. You have failed me for the last time, Straxus. Take him to Char and execute him." He commanded, climbing back to his throne.

"Surely, Megatron, Thrax is still of use to us." Another Decepticon spoke. This one was red and silver, with his arms bluish grey and black head. His wings folded up as he made his way towards the sentenced major. "After all, Straxus is one of our strongest soldiers. He even ordered the attack on the Autobot city- something you never had the courage to do."

"Then you're as stupid as you sound, Starscream. Straxus's failure has allowed the Autobots to get what was needed to make their exploration more sufficient. And Iacon is not as easily breached as you think. So mute your voice box before I tear it apart." The Decepticon lord commanded, making his second-in-command tremble. As Thrax was carried out, a new Decepticon enter. A dark purple cybertronian, who seemed to have a screen for a chest. He stopped before Megatron.

"Megatron. Sideswipe reporting. Autobot vessel launching with a 6 cycles." He spoke in a vocoder-done voice. Megatron smiled sinisterly.

"Let it be then." He stated. "Decepticons! Board the Nemesis! If we can't make the Autobots stay, then we will have them do the job for us! Soundwave. Let Sideswipe know we are going after the Ark."

"As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave replied.

* * *

**Iacon, launch time**

The nearest star was rising above the horizon. Its light illuminated the surface of the planet. From afar, Cybertron seemed to be silver, gold and even platinum. It was once a beautiful planet, flowing with energon, self-sustain, never falling to darkness. Eons ago, it was a peaceful planet, where aggression was long forgotten, and rarely ever needing warriors. This planet used to grow in culture, art, philosophy and science. Yes, it used to be something of a paradise. But now it was gone. With the rise of day, the sad reality hit everyone. Now the planet was the opposite of itself. Rust and destruction was everywhere. The fallen Cybertronians, both Autobots and Decepticons alike, lying everywhere- not given their final respects. What was once beauty was now junk. The Autobot soldiers were still fixing the Iacon walls, while still moving the Decepticon cannon into their city to improve their defense. Smoke kept lifting, darkening the sky. Spilled energon kept dripping. And the Ark was ready for lift off.

The crew of the great vessel was making final preparations on board. Optimus Prime decided to lead the expedition, though he was rather convinced to participate. He did not want to leave the planet, but the others believed that if Iacon was to fall, then at least their leader would still have time to plan the counterattack. The tall Cybertronian looked around at his crew. There were Jazz, his cool headed and stylish second-in-command, and Arcee, the cyber-ninjas. The two were handling piloting the cruiser. Then, to his right, were Ironhide, the weapon specialist. Next to him Hot Ride, the navigator. The Autobot leader then looked to his left, where he saw Ratchet and Bumblebee. The first was their medical officer. He was a tall white-and-red Cybertronian, tasked to monitor the crew as well as the ship status. Bumblebee, on the other hand, was a short, yellow 'Bot. He was even shorter than Arcee, though bulkier in build. He was assigned to the communications. Then Optimus remember the others, who were on board, most notably Cliffjumper, who was more like a brother to Arcee, and Bulkhead, a green giant, who despite his clumsy nature, was extremely loyal and new how to repair engines should something happen.

"Autobots!" Optimus opened the comm-link and began his speech. "Leaving Cybertron, especially in these circumstances, is the hardest choice I ever had to make. It pains me to think we are departing this world, leaving not only our brethren at the mercy of the Decepticons, but also our world to them. I can understand if some of you believe this to be an act of a coward. That we should stay and fight. However, now we have a chance we would never have. Somewhere out there lays a world rich enough in resources, which we could supply ourselves with enough energon to strike back. If there are any of you who wish to stay here and fight, know you can leave now. I intend to return here with the chance of ending this war." As he finished, Optimus looked around to find everyone giving him the look of support. He 'smiled' seeing the loyalty of his crew. "Jazz. Initiate final count down."

"Yes, sir, Boss Bot." the Autobot SIC replied. "Ratchet. Are the systems green?"

"Our newest addition, the Teletraan 1, as we dubbed it, is installed. All systems are fine." The medical officer answered.

"Well then. Welcome aboard the Ark. Glad to have you all here. This is your pilot, Jazz, speaking. Requesting all passengers to behave and fasten your seatbelts, as we're about to… lift off!"

With that said, the Autobots felt much heavier than they actually where. The main engines blasted with power, and the space cruiser soon took off. The Autobots left in Iacon watched with hope as the Ark flew into the greyish sky of Cybertron, to soon find itself far above the atmosphere. Now they just had to ensure their leader would have a city to return to.

"Everything seems to be in order." Arcee reported. "Switching to autopilot in 3… 2… 1…" she pressed the small button and the gears moved away from her and Jazz. The two got up from their seats and stretched. "Oh, yeah. That feels so good."

"Tell me 'bout it." Jazz commented. Then he turned to Optimus. "Hey, Optimus, how long do you think our li'l expedition's gonna last before we actually hit back to Cybertron?"

Optimus looked at the taller of the cyber-ninjas and heavily sighed. "To be honest, Jazz, I do not know. But whatever world awaits us there, I hope it will help us."

"As long as it provides us with energon, I don't truly care. I just hope we'll get this job done soon." Ratchet grumbled under his breath, though loudly enough for others to hear.

"Ah, cool your headgears, Ratchet." Bumblebee commented. "At least for now we've got a bit calmer assignment than running through the enemy lines." He noticed the medic giving him a hard glare. The young scout grasped how it must have sounded- as if he was glad to abandon their planet. "I mean… I know our friends are still fighting and dying, but… What I mean to say is…"

"We understand, Bumblebee." Optimus cut him off. "This mission may seem of relieve to one as yourself. However, our task is still an important one. Many sparks depend on us now. And we must not fail them in this tire time."

"Think I'll go down to the engine room." Arcee said walking towards the doors. "Cliffjumper said he needed to talk."

As the Ark was cruising through the stars, it seemed unaware of being followed. It was tailed by a huge, dark ship with multiple spike-like constructions. If the Autobots could see it, they would take notice of a familiar insignia on it. The insignia of the enemy they were hoping to leave behind. The ship following them was…

The Nemesis.

Onboard the Decepticon vessel, Megatron Absolute, the leader of the Decepticons, looked at the monitor that currently served as the window to the outside world. He would gladly take down the Autobot cruiser now, while they have the element of surprise. This would be the end of the Autobots once and for all. And easy victory. But why do that just now. No, he wouldn't. He was planning the similar kind of expedition for a while as well. So now that the Autobots were at it, why not use them? He would have the Autobots do all the dirty work for him. And once they find the planet rich with energy- he would annihilate them.

Stellar cycles were passing. As the Autobot space ship, the Ark, approached some planet, it would launch a number of drones to scan the planet. However, once the crew got their hopes up, it turned out the planet was only rich enough to sustain the Iacon defenses, or reclaim only a little of their home world. In short, while worth taking note, they wouldn't do. They needed to find one rich. And the exploration was taking more and more time. The Ark was getting further and further from Cybertron. The Decepticons following the cruiser were growing impatient. They would attack by now, but Megatron put them all in place. However, even he was losing his patience.

Ratchet, who was still monitoring the ship statistics, finally turned away from the monitors and faced the Autobot leader. "Optimus. I'm afraid that our energon is running low. Unless we land on the next planet to refuel, I'm afraid we'll have to end our exploration mission." He informed.

Jazz, who was having a break listening to some old music, returned to reality when he heard the news. "Whoa, pause it. You saying me 'n' Arcee fly this ship wastin' energon like rookies waste ammo on battlefield?"

"No, lieutenant. But we have been gone for a long time. And we are finally at limits." Ratchet made himself clear.

Optimus took a moment to wonder about this. If they were to return now, they wouldn't be able to gather enough energon to launch a second expedition. Plus, the Decepticons could take Iacon by the time they return. On the other hand, if they were to land now to refuel, they would be short on equipment. That would then prolong their exploration. But again, there was no quarantine there was a planet rich enough with energy.

"We shall scan this one last planet. Then we shall see what to do." The Last of the Primes said, pointing at the small, blue planet near them. "Ratchet! Deploy the scanners! This is our final chance."

Ratchet nodded before he looked at the pilots. Jazz and Arcee set course for the planet. Within a few cycles, they were orbiting the planet. The medical officer launched a few probes towards the unknown mud ball. Within a few nano-clicks he was already having readings. Everyone held their hopes up as the readings were coming in.

"Anything?" a voice of a huge, green Autobot, Bulkhead, got their attention.

"Yeah. I'm growing tired of listening to Ratchet's 'that's not it' talk." Cliffjumper said, as he followed his bulky friend. "Seriously, if I hear him say that one more time, I'm gonna lose my master processor."

"Then you're lucky." The white-and-red Cybertronian said, catching everyone's attention. "The readings are promising. And the new data is still coming in. From the looks of it…" he suddenly paused, staring at the monitor with wide optics. Then started to laugh maniacally, getting everyone worried. They all started to think he went insane, when…

"By the Allspark. We found it! We finally found the energy-rich planet, Optimus!" Ratchet declared, dancing victoriously. "And it has far more than we could expect, haha ha!"

"Finally some good news, doc." Cliffjumper commented, raising his fist cheerfully.

"Now we can get to work." Bulkhead commented.

"In your case, big bot, more like start breaking stuff." Hot Ride joked, making Arcee giggle.

"Hey. I have a sensitive side too, you know." The green giant complained, though with a hint of humor.

* * *

**The Nemesis**

The Decepticon warship was still some distance away from the Ark. It was still waiting for the right moment to strike. Megatron, the tyrannical warlord kept watching the Autobot cruiser on screen, growling impatiently. How long have they been travelling the stars now? How many solar cycles has it been?

"Lord Megatron." Soundwave's voice caught his attention for a change. "Sideswipe reporting. Autobots succeeded finding the energy-rich planet."

The Decepticon leader smiled. "Excellent. Prepare to blast the Autobots!" he ordered. And before anyone noticed, the Nemesis opened fire at the Ark.

The golden cruiser shook as the alert sounded. Teletraan 1 was already giving damage report, warning about the possible engine explosion. The Autobots were confused. What was happening? 'Alert! Alert! Decepticon warship detected!' the computer reported. Optimus's optics widened in shock before they 'narrowed' in anger.

"Megatron…" he stated.

"The galaxy's biggest bully followed us all the way here? That can't be right." Jazz commented, trying to do the evasive maneuvers, though he knew it would be hard considering what their space ship was- a big target that moved so slowly, even a rookie couldn't miss it. But the stylish 'Bot wouldn't let that stop him. He set the engines to maximum, activating the boosters as well, for maximum speed. It did little to help, but it was still something.

But the Decepticon warship was already next to them. And just as the Ark started to build up speed, the tow cables launched at it, piercing through the golden vessels thick plating. The Autobots set their weapons on, but their cruiser wasn't that well-armed. It would be easily overpowered.

"Jazz. Get us outta here!" Ironhide shouted.

"Hey! I'm doin' my best 'ere, tough bot." Jazz answered, struggling with the gears. "Arcee, set the repulsors x=30 decrees, y=-63!"

"Why?" the femme bot asked.

"Cause there is no way we can beat them in space. In fact, we're practically stuck here. So the least we could do is make sure they kiss their energon converters good bye."

"Jazz! You might actually do the Decepticons a favor! Don't do this!" Hot Ride yelled.

"Hot Ride's right, Jazz! This maneuver is suicide!" Optimus supported the soldier.

Then the last Prime saw the serious look on his lieutenant's face. Then he spoke with a serious tone, which was rare and meant only one thing. "Optimus. We're going down anyway. Might as well try and take Megatron Absolute with us."

The Autobot SIC then pushed the switch. And the engine boost activated. It flew towards the blue planet with great speed. It ripped a part of the Ark, but the maneuver ripped the tow cables and the Nemesis momentarily lost control. That was enough of the opening for Ironhide to focus all fire power on the small tower, which he knew was the bridge.

The Decepticons were doing their best to regain control, to stabilize their ship. They were so close to destroying Optimus Prime. Megatron would not have this failure now. He blasted a few of his drones, who fell out from their posts. "Stabilize the ship fast, you fools!" he roared. "I want to make certain that the Autobots are destroyed!"

"But, Megatron, the Ark is falling towards that planet." Starscream spoke. "Surely this is enough. Besides, we lost control due to their deception. I suggest we leave to the secure room, before they take this opportunity and scrap us."

Megatron looked at his second-in-command and grabbed him by the head, slowly and painfully squeezing it. "I will not be denied, Starscream! I will only believe in Prime's destruction when I see it…!" he was cut off by an explosion.

As the flames died out, and the blast shields sealed the damaged room, securing it from the space vacuum, Starscream stood up and looked around. The damage was great. It would no doubt take a lot of time to make this place operational again. As he wanted to walk away, something drew his attention. Megatron's body laid at his feet. He was badly damaged, maybe even destroyed. The Decepticon commander smiled sinisterly as he kicked the Decepticon lord's body.

"Now that is unfortunate, my dearest Megatron." He commented sarcastically. "You have been destroyed just as you were about to finish the Last of the Primes and his fellow Autobots. A shame really. You were close. But do not worry. For I shall lead the Decepticons into the new golden age. You did your part by cleansing our planet of the weaklings and I shall finish it, ruling the Decepticons as your rightful heir. All shall bow before me! All hail Starscream Absolu…!" he paused as the ship trembled. The winged 'Con wondered what happened, when he realized that the ship never managed to stabilize. And since it was in the planetary gravitational field… "Oh scrap…" he said blankly, as he started panicking.

The two ships were now falling towards the small planet as the balls of fire. The crew of Cybertronian cruisers was unaware of the natives observing the sky. The creatures were not made of metal or circuitry, but were using the machines for various purposes. Currently, the soldiers, who were fighting some madman's sick ideology of superior and inferior race, seized their fire and turned their gaze towards the sky, fascinated by the sight of two meteors. That cost them losing their perfect advantage, which in hours allowed their enemy to land on the beach- Normandy. The locals pressed on, and soon would end this sick war. Little did any one realize that the phenomenon that allowed righteous to win the World War II was a prelude to a new war.

A war that would rather draw their home world in.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A.N.: **Hope you liked the first part. I'll try to better describe the robot characters. Also, I'm still not fully sure of their vehicle modes, so I am open for suggestion for some.

For those with enough imagination to voice the characters, here's my cast:

**AUTOBOTS**

**Optimus Prime**- Peter Cullen (duh)

**Hot Ride**- Tony Oliver

**Arcee**- Stephanie Sheh (tempted, to make her sound younger) or Sumalee Montano (stay with) or Tara Strong

**Ironhide**- Steven Barr or T.C. Carson

**Bulkhead**- Kevin Michael Richardson (he stays)

**Bumblebee**- Greg Cipes or Scott Menville

**Ratchet**- Brandon Keener

**Jazz**- Khary Payton

**Cliffjumper**- Seth Green

**DECEPTICONS**

**Megatron Absolute** (in this chapter)- Clancy Brown

**Starscream**- Gilbert Godfried (admit it. Hearing him cracks you up!)

**Soundwave**- Frank Welker (back to basics)

**Straxus**- Fred Tatasciore


	3. 02 New World- part 2

**Before we get to the story, let me clear something up.**

**First of all, thank you for the support, however small it may be.**

**Second- Remnant of the Thirteen Primes, I did change Hot Rod's name to Hot Ride, but I had a reason for it. If you know, in fall of Cybertron Slag's name was changed to Slug due to the insulting meaning of the word 'slag' in British English (if I recall). Some time ago I read there is/was a legal issue with Hot Rod name. So took the opportunity to do the same approach.**

**Anyway, this chapter WILL won't be fully original, so I ask you to bear with it. The Next chapter is planned to go original.**

**Now on with the story!**

**-02-**

**New World**

**-Part 2-**

According to the planet's calendar, it was year 2012. The war was far over. And yet, just recently, there were new trouble in the east, where the American army had to intervene. And it's taking place for 10 years now. But that was of no concern to the young raven haired boy. No, Jack Darby wasn't interested in the political matters of the world. Not for many years. Whenever he heard something about the situation there, he would try his best not to listen. Some people asked him why, but he wouldn't answer. He just refused to answer. The 16-years-old just wanted a normal life. Though sometimes he wished something rather exciting would happen here in Jasper, Nevada. Meanwhile, he had to work in some fast food restaurant for a jerk boss, take the insults from people and hope to ever make enough money to leave the place.

He sighed heavily as he watched another bike pass by. He always had a thing for machines. Be it mechanical or electronic. There was just… something driving him towards them. Something seemed to pull him. How he wished to know if it was some sign of sorts.

Luckily, soon his life was to change… forever.

* * *

**Somewhere in Texas**

A red Dodge Challenger with horns on the hood drove through the empty road. The cloud of dust was rising behind it, as it sped up. The breeze hit its front window, and the tires were rotating even faster, carrying the vehicle across the road.

"And then it hit me." A voice came from the car. "I was illegally parked. So the police placed the wheel clamp on my wheel."

"_**Hard to place. Impossible to remove.**_" A femine voice spoke through the radio and chuckled.

"Bingo. So the local police do their thing and I let them go all the way down the block. That's when I kickoff my new shiny shoe and- BANG."

"_**New York's finest foil themselves.**_"

"You know me, Arcee. You mess with Cliffjumper…"

"_**And you get the horns.**_" The femme finished for her friend. Then something came up her mind as the red Autobot laughed. "_**I'm not sure how that complies with the Autobot rule number 1- maintain low profile.**_"

"What can I say? Scouting around for energon makes you feel lonesome. Almost makes me miss the Decepticons."

Arcee sighed. Apparently she was rather missing their home world more than the action. "_**Like Jasper in Nevada has a party. We're alone wherever we travel on this rock, Cliff.**_"

Cliffjumper seemed ready to reply, when his detectors caught his attention. He was getting a signal. Not a radio signal, but an energy spike. "I'm getting a signal." He reported.

"_**Need backup?**_"

"Do I _ever_ need backup?" Cliffjumper answered with a cocky tone and got off the road. It took him a few seconds before he actually approached a huge crater. He transformed into his bipedal form. He was rather bulky build, with wheels placed on his forearms and legs. The grill and headlights formed a belt, and the horns from the hood were now placed on his head, making him look a bit like a devil. "I just found a whole lot of energon, partner." He reported, walking closer to the edge. As he was about to slide down, he noticed that this wasn't a crater- it was a dig side.

Just when he realized it, a blast hit him in the back. He turned around to find a few, similar looking mechs approach him. All of them were purple and black. But what caught the Autobot's attention was the insignia on their chest.

"Decepticons." He murmured. He caught his belt and when he pulled it off- it transformed into two guns. Cliffjumper dashed at the drones, shooting without a break. "Fair warning, boys. I'll put a few things in ya." Then he jumped up, so the enemy wouldn't have the advantage of the high ground. He landed taking two 'Cons down. When he wasn't shooting, he was punching or kicking. Luckily, these Decepticons weren't so strong. Maybe he overestimated them? But then he heard footsteps.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

"_**Optimus. Cliff might be in trouble.**_" Arcee called through the comm-link.

"Understood." A red Peterbilt 386 truck with some blue elements answered, while trying to hide from the blizzard. "Ratchet. Do you have Cliffjumper's current coordinates?"

"_**Affirmative.**_" The medic responded. "_**But our team is scattered through different time zones.**_"

"Then we call the once closest. Bulkhead! Bumblebee! Arcee! Rendezvous at the base and prepare for ground bridge." Optimus ordered. And he hoped their friend was alright.

* * *

**Cliffjumper's location**

The red Autobot warrior, Cliffjumper, was experienced. Heck, he was one of the best warriors amongst the Autobots. He even served under Megatron before he turned villainous. So he used to be in tight situations more than once. But even he was losing it whenever he saw **him**. A huge, bulky Decepticon, an actual giant, even in comparison to Megatron Absolute. He had at least four cannons mounted on his shoulders and arms. Then there were a total of six smaller blasters just beneath his chest and finally rocket launchers on his hips. And unlike other Decepticons, or any other Cybertronian, who were more human-like in appearance, this one was beast-like. Especially his face.

"Genocide…" Cliff whispered in fear. Then he realized how close the giant was to him. But it was too late. The Decepticon roared while delivering a punch. One that easily broke off one of his horns. Cliffjumper hit the energon crystals hard. His whole chassis was aching and leaking energon, but he was too proud and stubborn to lay down. He got up back on his lower servos. "You want the horns? You got them!" he shouted, transforming his right hand into a blaster and shooting at the Decepticon. Genocide shielded himself with one servo, while discretely taking aim with the other. Then he fired at the energon crystal. The blast was powerful enough to send the 'Con flying with just a shockwave. But he found his footing and easily maintained his balance. He approached the now destroyed dig side and scanned the area until he found the one bot he was looking for. He turned around to find a drop ship approach him before more drones dropped out. The 'Con giant growled, pointing at the Autobot. The troops quickly understood the officer's order and took the wounded freedom fighter on board.

When Cliffjumper came to, he saw a familiar face he did not wish to ever see- Starscream. The Decepticon commander glared at the Autobot with a sinister smile. "Hey, Screamy." Cliffjumper said in a cocky tone, despite his damage. "It's been a while. How's your master?"

The question seemed to strike the flyer's nerve. "Never mind that fried processor nincompoop. I'm MY own MASTER!" Starscream shouted, stabbing the prisoner with his claws that extended from his fingers. Cliffjumper couldn't even cry on pain, as he watched energon leaking from his wound.

He then went offline.

* * *

The drop ship was already far in the distance, leaving the useless energon deposit far behind. Meanwhile, at the said place a green glowing vortex opened, giving the strange sound hard to describe. And five vehicles dropped out, transforming into five Autobots. Arcee and Bumblebee where at Ratchet's side, making sure nothing would happen to the team medic. Bulkhead and Optimus on the other hand were taking point, ready to blast any Decepticon at sight. However, they found nothing. Only flames, rubble and… to Arcee's horror… a horn.

"Cliff…" the femme spoke with a broken voice as she picked up the piece of her partner's armor.

"Ratchet. Can you confirm Cliffjumper's status?" the Autobot leader asked. The medic complied and checked the small monitor on his forearm. His optics 'widened'.

"He's… offline…" he said with horror. The team looked around and remained quiet. But then Bumblebee broke the silence, pointing at deformed piece of junk.

"Decepticons." He said with his static-sounding voice.

"It can't be." Bulkhead refused to believe his audio receivers. "The 'Cons haven't shown any signs of activity since they took us down more than 50 Earth-years ago. So why now?"

"A fair question, Bulkhead." Optimus said. "It is possible that, like us, they were in stasis lock as their ship crash landed. If so, it is only logical to assume they have awakened just recently, long after our awakening."

"Then Megatron's still…?"

"I do not know, my friend. Now only time can answer that."

* * *

**Somewhere in Pacific Ocean**

It was a small, volcanic island. And Starscream hated this place. Ash was everywhere in the air. Luckily the earthquake wouldn't take place for a while it would appear. But he still hated this place. When he first woke up, he thought he landed in hell. It took a long time to register him and the other Decepticons were still online. They seemed to be lucky. But when he saw the damage their ship suffered, well… him being furious wasn't enough of a description. They were low on energon, they were stuck on some planet that turned out to be inhabited by small, primitive organic creatures and, the best part, two Decepticons refused to follow him with complete loyalty.

One of them was Genocide- the brute who didn't seem able to even speak. He was a personal body guard of Megatron's most of the time, so it would seem natural he would refuse to let his master's remains to be left to rust.

Then there was Soundwave. While he was cooperative enough to look for energon, he too refused to leave Megatron for scrap. Oh, how annoying was that.

Speaking of which, the communications officer approached the commander on what was once the Nemesis bridge.

"Sideswipe reporting." He said.

"Finally." Starscream said with an annoyed look on his face. "It's been four solar cycles since we awoke and only NOW did our spy bother to try and contact us. So what does he report?"

"Reporting: Autobots' cruiser crashed." Soundwave began the report. "Survivors: Optimus Prime, Ratchet…."

"Never mind the names, Soundwave." He cut off the drone-like Decepticon. "Just how many survived? Cut Cliffjumper and him off the list."

"7 Autobots accounted for. Observation: One Autobot's location learned."

"Indeed? And the Autobot base."

"Negative. The Ark is not the base of operation. Explanation: the planet's natives transported them to other military base. Sideswipe under heavy watch."

Starscream growled at that. Could it be that the locals were weary of the bots? It couldn't be, could it? Maybe it was some other kind of protocol? "Never mind then. We'll lure them out by using some other for bait. If our spy can't do the job, then we'll just hunt them down."

* * *

**Someplace in Nevada**

The Autobots were on top of the plateau, where they made a memorial stone for Cliffjumper. If they were to have his body, they would grand it the last respects. However, his horn was all they had. Optimus looked at Arcee, who laid down the horn, clearly broken. He knew she was close with Cliffjumper. Even closer than with anyone else. He put his servo on her shoulder. But she just started to walk away. "Arcee, where are you heading?" the Prime asked.

"To cool my circuits." She commented. Then she transformed into a 2008 Kawasaki z750 ABS-like motorcycle and quickly took off. The prime watched as she rode away, when Ratchet approached him.

"Optimus. I fear that we may have done a bad thing leaving Cybertron." The medic said. "The humans said their willing to cooperate with us. Tell me you'll refuse."

"To be honest, Ratchet, if possible I would rather not involve them into this if the Decepticons are actually online."

"And what of Arcee?" Ironhide asked. "Now that we know the Deceptiscums are here we shouldn't go anywhere solo."

"She needs time to calm down. But, indeed, she should not be left alone." Optimus agreed. He turned towards the others, when a blur passed him.

"I'm on it."

* * *

**Jasper**

It was finally over. Jack could finally leave this wretched place. He was already having a bad day, being bullied at school and then at his work. Now he could go home and relax. He looked at the setting sun for a moment just to register how late it was. He smiled before approaching his bicycle. As he was about to ride off, his cell phone rank. He pulled it out to see who's calling before answering.

"Yeah?" he answered, clearly pretending not to know. "No, I just finished my shift, Kelly." His expression darkened a bit. "Funny. Since when do you talk like mom? *sigh* Look, I-I'm sorry. I j-just… had a rough day. Even the boss seemed to enjoy taking it out on me." Looked at the setting sun again, as his expression lightened. "No, no need. I'll be at home in about ten minutes or so. Y'know I can look after myself. Yeah, okay. Love you too, sis. Bye." he finished the call. Now sadness was on his face. He quickly shook his head and smiled. What was he sad about? He had a free time now. He could finally do what he liked to do in his free time.

And he took off.

* * *

**Elsewhere in jasper**

A blue motorcycle with white stripes and some pink designs drove into the small town. Jasper wasn't exactly a capital of entertainment, so it was a perfect place to clear once head. A rider with femine features appeared on it just as it passed the first building. Luckily no one could see this. Arcee was glad no one was here. No one would bother her. And she felt like hitting even Ironhide. She knew she would do little harm to the sergeant. He was a real tough bot. her punches wouldn't do much.

Just as she thought of hitting something, she noticed in her rear mirror a black bike following her. It was similar to one she transformed into, but with sharper edges, more- predator-like. Somehow she recognized it.

"Ravage." She whispered. She took a quick look around to escape, but she noticed two similar cars around her, cutting her off from the turns. She saw an abandoned warehouse. She managed to get in there. But before she could leave, the black bike jumped over her, transforming into a black cat-like robot. Ravage dug its claws into Arcee just she transformed. Despite its small size, Ravage was a dangerous Decepticon tracker. It was scratching the femme Autobot continuously. The cyber-ninja managed to shake it off and extended one of her blades just in time to block Ravage's claws. Then she saw its guns, which appeared as the smokepipes, aiming at her. Ravage opened fire, causing Arcee to jump away. As she pulled out her gun from her tight, she was rammed by one of the drones through the wall. She transformed into a bike in hopes of escaping, but the Decepticons were already shooting at her. One shot hit her, making her hit the side of the bridge with her side and falling down.

* * *

Arcee didn't know how long she was in stasis. When she came to, she saw she was not outside the warehouse, or in the river, or even a Cybertronian med bay or prison. It was some kind of a workshop. A human workshop. She looked around more. How did she end up here? Did someone dismantle her? She made a quick scan to notice she was still in vehicle mode, lucky her. But also that there were some parts missing. Namely fuses.

That's when she noticed a human boy enter come out from the other room, cleaning something. He was a bit dirty in places and sweaty, whistling a happy tune. When the raven haired teen stopped, Arcee noticed her fuses in his hand. Before she could react in whatever way, the boy approached the desk next to her and picked up some more fuses and installed them into her.

"There you go." Jack said, swiping the sweat off his forehead. "Now you're clean, polished and ready to hit the road." He turned towards a small box with some tools. Arcee noticed then a mirror in the corner. She knew that just before she lost consciousness she was covered in scratches and burns. Now there were barely even scratches left. "I gotta tell you, whoever dumbed such a beautiful ride like you must be stupid. Where have you been my whole life?" he commented. After he washed his hands, he touched the bikes seat, running across it with his hands, feeling the smooth leather. "Wish your owner doesn't come looking for you, 'cause your too beautiful to let go." He smiled, as he started washing her. It was a strange sensation for Arcee. She was tempted to get away, but knew that she couldn't move with the young human around. On the other hand, this wash wasn't so bad.

Then an engine roar got the teens attention. Stopped washing the blue bike to open the door. Who was so loud? As he opened the garage door, he saw a customized black KTM 125 cc road race motorcycle. Before he could asked the rider anything, he disappeared, and the two-wheeler began to transform. Arcee wasted no time and moved. "Hop on!" she shouted. Jack just gazed around confused.

"Who said that?!" he yelled. The femme Autobot didn't had time for this.

"Wanna live? Then jump on!" she said with a demanding tone. Not wanting to know what was a black, robotic feline going to do to him, the teen jumped mounted her. Before he knew it, Arcee took off, making Ravage start his pursue. The femme, while trying to lose the Decepticon tracker, also kept an eye out for the other two. She took a quick turn, so sharp that Ravage passed her. The feline tried, keyword 'tried', to turn around, but collapsed and slide some distance before transforming. Meanwhile Arcee stopped in an alley, dropping off the boy.

"W-wha-What are you?!" Jack was shocked, confused and scared asking that question, as the bike was slowly enclosing on him.

Then she spoke with a threatening tone. "I don't exist. Tell about me anyone and I'll hunt you down." Jack was stepping back from her, trying to keep his distance, before he finally took off. Having gotten rid of one nuisance, she focused on the other- Ravage and the Vehicons. She took off again, planning her next move. She needed a good plan. She thought of calling back up, when her rear mirror noticed something disturbing.

While the two drones continued to pursue her, Ravage turned into the alley where the boy ran. "Scrap…" she said and turned around. The Vehicons were blocking her path, but the trash here provided her with a ramp. So she jumped over them and chased after the boy, hoping to reach him before the 'Con pet.

Jack was running like mad. What's with today? He found a damaged bike by evening spend the whole night repairing it and at dawn he got attacked by a shape-shifting bike, only to learn that the one he fixed was also sentient. What kind of prank was whatever god playing on him? His train of thoughts seized when he heard a motor engine follow him. He turned around to find the black bike. Then, to his surprise, it transformed into a feline robot. Ravage was chasing after him with its claws ready. "I don't even know her!" he screamed, as if hoping that thing would leave him alone. Just as Ravage was about to get him, a blue bike rammed him into the wall of the nearest building.

"Quick! Get on!" Arcee shouted. She instructed him. Jack cooperated, seeing little to no alternative. He hopped on and felt the breeze hit his face harder, as Ravage came to and transformed into his vehicle made. Soon, they found themselves on the highway.

And before Jack Darby knew it, there was end of the road. The bridge was under construction. Jack wanted to point it out, but Arcee just kept speeding up, eventually reaching the edge. They started to fall, as a young kid, a preteen, seized playing with his toy car and watched them. Before Jack could hit the ground, the bike transformed, grabbed him, and landed safely, with no harm done to the human.

"Whoa…" the small kid was at awe, whilst Jack was froze, hardly starting to breath.

"You have no idea." He answered, before he looked at Arcee, a 15 foot robot with female features. The handlebars were placed on her arms, like biceps. One wheel was located likely on her back. The front formed her breast plates, the exhaust pipes were part of her tights. Al in all, she looked quite… human? Her blue optics glared up, as two purple-and-black cars jumped after her, followed by the familiar bike. The three vehicles transformed into robots and landed before the female Autobot. Jack flinched before running towards the young kid in glasses.

"This ends here, 'Cons." Arcee said with hostile tone, ready for combat. She charged, while the three Decepticons fired at her. She was easily able to dodge the projectiles, but when she reached the enemy and kicked one down, the other drone caught her and pinned to the ground, while Ravage was approaching the humans. Her optics widened at the sight. How could she have allowed humans to get dragged into this? She got so nervous she didn't look at the blaster pointed to her.

Then everyone heard a loud engine. And two cars appeared speeding at the Decepticons. One of which was a yellow Suzuki Swift S-Concept. The other was a customized, red Lexus LC with gold-and-black flame design. The cars transformed as yellow Autobot nearly hit Ravage, while his comrade hit the Vehicons. Arcee jumped onto her legs and looked at her friends.

"Hot Ride! Bumblebee! What are you guys…?"

"You didn't show up in base, so we decided to go look for you." Hot Ride started. "Fortunately, Ratchet pinpointed your location with no problem."

"Yeah. And besides…" Bumblebee started with his voice filled with statics, but stopped when he felt he stepped on something. He looked down to find a toy car crashed on his foot. He looked at the boys with apologetic look. "Sorry" he said.

"It's okay." The shorter of the boys said. Bumblebee smiled, when he got attacked by the feline robot. 'Bee actually fell to the ground. As Ravage was about to scratch him… "Leave him alone!" the boy caught Ravage's attention, realizing how unwise it was. "Please?"

Ravage forgot about the Autobot and jumped at the humans. Jack acted on instincts and pulled the younger boy out of the way. But Ravage just chased after them. He was about to get them, when one of the Vehicons flew into it, slamming the two Decepticons into the concrete wall. The Boys decided it's best to continue running away and not look back.

Meanwhile, Hot Ride gestured victoriously. "Oh, yeah. Home run." He cheered.

"It's not over yet, pal." Arcee commented. The three 'Cons pulled themselves together, taking aim. As the Autobot trio was about to attack, they heard someone coming. They expected another Decepticon, but it wasn't. It was a familiar red Bison speeding up at them. In moments it turned into hulking red-and-dark grey Autobot sergeant, whose 'backpack' transformed into two cannons. Ironhide stopped just a few feet away from his friends, as his scar-covered face was a rape face.

"Who wants some?" he said, aiming at the Decepticons. At that moment, all three 'Cons transformed and escaped.

Hot Ride turned to the weapon specialist. "What took you, sergeant?"

"Traffic." He shrugged. Bumblebee face-palmed himself.

* * *

**Autobot base, unknown location**

Inside the base, the Autobots were listening to Arcee's story. It troubled them when they heard about Ravage. It was the best tracker amongst the Decepticons. And a dangerous fighter. Now they were even more glad to return to base via ground bridge. That way it wouldn't track them down anytime soon. Still, Optimus was worried about this revelation. It just meant that the Decepticons were onto them. His train of thoughts cut short when Arcee brought up something he least expected.

"And I would've been scrap by the first round if it wasn't for that annoying, little human." She said. It wasn't that she hated humans. But she didn't find the race worth any special attention.

"Humans?" Optimus asked with a curious look.

"Two boys, to be precise." Bumblebee corrected.

"As much as I couldn't focus on the fight because of them, I have to admit I should be thankful. One of them patched up my wounds." Arcee said, running her hand on her silver and pink side.

Ratchet quickly stopped working by the monitor and turned to Arcee with shocked expression. "A human looked at your circuitry? Into the CR chamber, now. I should take a look at what that human could mess up." He demanded. Arcee was a bit hesitant, because she didn't feel too bad. Nevertheless, she would rather be certain the drawback would get her during the next battle. She entered a tall tank-like chamber and watched as mechanical arms held her, keeping her steady, while a ring of light ran down the chamber. The medic was looking at the monitors, getting the readings. After a minute or so, his optics widened. "By the Allspark…"

"What? The human messed up my circuits beyond repair?" she asked confused.

"On the contrary." Ratchet said with amused voice, catching everyone's attention. "He… fixed you even better than I would. Even the damage you suffered during the Decagon Downfall is no longer there."

"Wait. The humans are supposed to be primitive." Ironhide said. "How is it that one managed to fix her? In such a short time and with such ease?"

"A fair question, my friend." Optimus commented. Then continued, "However, if the Decepticons perceived the humans as our allies, their lives are in jeopardy. Especially the one who fixed Arcee's damage. We must ensure no harm will come to them."

"Whoa, hold on, Optimus." Arcee said, coming out of the CR chamber. "You want to bring these children to our base?"

"They will be safer here than out there." The Last of the Primes said. "Especially if he returns."

* * *

**Decepticon base**

Soundwave was working on the console, watching the tanks with glowing liquid around him. Genocide approached him with another tank he soon installed before the console. The communications officer paid no real attention to the hulking giant, busy with the objective. As he finished, he made his way towards what appeared to be a CR chamber. Just then, Starscream got in the way.

"Soundwave." He started. "I understand the importance of this… _project_ that you're doing. But… do you really think we should be wasting our precious time for that?"

Instead of Soundwave, it was Genocide who stepped forward. He caught the Decepticon commander by the shoulder, squeezing it tightly and roaring. Starscream was actually terrified, as the giant continued to growl. "Y-yes, I understand. It's cool. I-I… I'm just… concerned… about the… our energon supplies. Should we… not wait, till… we have more?"

"Clarification: Energon supplies sufficient." Soundwave informed. Starscream sighed in defeat, as Genocide released him.

"Then activate it." He ordered.

Soundwave approached the CR chamber and activated it. Soon enough, the room was filled with light violet light, as the glowing liquid left the tanks. Electrical charge ran through the chamber, frightening the flier. Flames burst out into Starscream's face. As the Decepticon coughed, the chamber opened, revealing not a cybertronian artillery cannon, but a black tank, similar to IDF Merkava Mk4, with multiple some M1 Abrahams features. It came out of the chamber and transformed. The tracks were forming the back of the large legs, while the main gun was on the back. The right servo seemed to form two forearms. But one forearm turned out to be a fusion cannon. Finally, the familiar helm and face formed, as red light came from mouth and optics.

"DECEPTICONS! I function." Megatron Absolute declared with a sinister smile.

**To be continued…**


	4. 03 New World- part 3

**-03-**

**New world**

**-Part 3-**

Finally, the bell rang. Jack felt boredom leave him, as he packed his notebook. He stood up and made his way to the hallway. The boy in the grey shirt with long, white sleeves approached his locker to take out a few notes. Then he noticed the kid he met a week ago- Raf he recalled the name. The teen saw the preteen waving to him. Not able to come up with anything, he just walked over to the boy in the orange vest.

"Hey, Raf." He said. "Need something?"

"I was just wondering, Jack." The boy replied. "You think we'll meet them again?"

"You mean 'them'? I hope not?" he answered quietly, remembering they were not alone. "Besides, you mind if we keep this between us?"

"Keep what between yourselves?" a feminine voice spoke, surprising the boys. They turned to find Miko Nakadai, the famous, hyperactive exchange student from Japan. "Kon'nichiwa. I'm Miko. You're Jack Darby, right?" she asked the eldest of the group.

"Um… yeah?" he asked with obvious confusion.

"Suh-weet. Heard you're a genius when it comes to fixin' stuff." She said, pulling out her pink cellphone. "Just a while ago, some jerk pushed me and my phone broke. Think you can fix it?" Jack took the phone, shook it gently, hearing something inside. The three walked up to the bench, where the raven teen swiftly took off the phone body and looked at the parts. He pulled out the scissors, some tape and a pencil. Miko and Raf were a bit at awe seeing how swiftly he was working with the broken phone. After a few minutes, he reassembled the device and hand it over to the punkish exchange student.

"For now try not to shake it too roughly." Jack said, handing over the phone. Then he started writing and drawing something on a piece of paper, which he later also passed to Miko. "Come to my private workshop after school. With better equipment at hand I'll fully repair it."

"Cool." She said. "By then way, what were the two of you talking about?" Jack flinched a bit at the question. "Is there some gang after you? Can I come see them? How many were there?"

"Whoa, Miko. Calm down." Raphael said, "It's not some gang after us. It's…"

"Nothing really." Jack cut him off. "Juuuust… some crazy old man pestering us. Yeah, that's it. Hehe." He finished with a nervous chuckle, hoping she'll buy it. However, he could tell by her eyes she wasn't buying the story. Still, she shrugged it off. Boy, he hoped the robots he saw last week won't show up.

Little did he know, the moment he stepped outside the school building, he was being watched. A familiar blue bike was hidden in the alley, accompanied by a white Lamborghini Vereno with blue stripes running along its length. Although, it also had small TV screens on the doors and sound whoopers on the back.

"So… which is the human that caught your optic, gal?" Jazz asked.

Arcee knew that Jazz was teasing her. But, slag it, it nerved her. "See the brunette in grey shirt and jeans? That's him." She said.

"Sick. And the one in the orange vest behind him is the other one, right?"

"Yup."

"Dig it." Jazz said with what sounded like enthusiasm. "Yo, 'Bee!" He called to the yellow car behind him. "You spoke to the li'l one. So he's yours, man." Bumblebee soon took off. "Arcee, you own your Prince Charmin' a ride."

"First off- what does 'prince charmin' means?" Arcee asked, is if she understood what Jazz said and tried to deny. "Second- why do I have to take the little twerp? Since you're here, why don't you get him yourself?"

"Because you're the one who made contact with him." Jazz answered. "So it's best that you invite him to our li'l club. You diggin'?"

"Seriously, Jazz. You should stop watching… MTV channel, was it? It's messing your circuitry."

"Just go get 'im, 'Cee. I'm to assist if need be."

Arcee sighed. Why was he with her of all the Autobots?

* * *

Jack was approaching a small, abandoned garage, where his workshop was. He couldn't believe the place wasn't taken by anyone after the previous owner, Buster Witwicky if he recalled right, left the town. Still, it was cool. He loved coming here when he felt the need to be alone. Ever since he could remember, he loved working with machines. It didn't matter whether they were mechanical, electronic or not. It always felt relaxing. And the fact the garage was left with most of the equipment just allowed him work on them more like a professional.

But when he was about to open the door, he heard an engine. He knew it couldn't be Miko. She told him earlier she needed to go elsewhere first. He turn around to find a familiar bike, with a driver, apparently woman, riding her. Jack flinched at the sight.

"Kid, relax. I'm just here to talk." Arcee said calmly, trying to show she meant no harm.

"You and your new friend that is, right?" he corrected her, indirectly pointing at the driver, who suddenly disappeared.

She chuckled. "There's still a lot you don't understand."

"No, no. I get it." He raised his hands in defeat. "I get it. You don't exist and I'm not to talk about you." He turned to open the garage. "What you don't seem to get into that, um… processor of yours is that I don't want to have anything to do with giant, fighting robots. Especially if I'm to be near your fights." He continued, not paying attention to her. Arcee approached him, lightly tagged her tire to his leg to get his attention.

As he turned to look at her, Arcee transformed. Jack was at awe, having no idea how could a bike transform into such a big robot. The female Autobot kneeled and looked at the teen with her blue optics. "Look, uh… um…"

"Jack." He said, guessing she was trying to address him. And somehow he didn't want her to call him something rather belittling.

"Fine, Jack- your life may be in danger because of your interaction with us the last week. Being thoughtful about your safety is exactly why Optimus Prime wants your presence." She said, scanning the human.

"W-wait… Optimus who…?" Jack started asking, but Arcee just leaned closer towards him.

"Listen to me. The Decepticons, the guys who tried to scrap you and me, may take you for our friend because you helped me. Your kind doesn't have the fire power to protect you like we can."

Jack started to look around, thinking should he listen to her. Then… "Dude! What are you waiting for?" a familiar voice caught both the human and Cybertronian's attention. They looked to find Miko approach them. "Go with!" she finish enthusiastically.

"Scrap." Arcee murmured. "Jazz's gonna trash me for getting spotted."

"Um… Jazz?" Jack asked.

"Think you'll like him." Arcee answered, whispering to him. "I know I do."

* * *

About an 20 minutes later, Jack and the Japanese exchange student found themselves riding with Arcee in the middle of… nowhere (what did you expect?). They got off the road about 15 minutes and there was still nothing but sand and rocks. On the way to… who knows where, they met with a familiar yellow car, where Raf waved them. With them was an unfamiliar pimped Lamborghini, and then started to lead them towards two, twin rocks. As they were about to drive between them, a flash of green light opened the ground bridge. Jack got startled, while Miko and Raf were at awe. When they rode in, they found themselves surrounded by green, blue and yellowish lights forming a tunnel. And within a minute or so they saw something before them- some kind of shadows. Then they realized it must've been the exit. And they guessed right. As if breaking a giant bubble, they exited the vortex and found themselves in a huge space. The sight was breath taking. A giant Autobot insignia was on the floor and the walls. Some kind of computerized silo was in the corner and a set of huge screens in the middle. The kids got off/out of their 'new friends' and watched as they transform into their bipedal form. The Lamborghini was somehow different, as if the robot was performing a dance or something before he kneeled to them.

Now that they looked at him, his chest was the front of the car. One pair of tires was on his back, under the tail wing. The other two wheels where forming his biceps. The doors were on his shoulder, making him look a little like a samurai or something.

"So these are the kids you talked 'bout." Jazz said looking at them. Then he smiled and slowly neared his fist to them. "Name's Jazz, yo. Do the turtle, c'mon." Jack was confused, while Miko and Raf, though the ladder was a bit hesitant, did as were asked. "Ow, careful, yo. You'll break my servo." He joked, making the kids smile. "I like 'em already. But… didn't you say there were two? Who's the chick?"

"Didn't you learn from that 'Discovery Channel' you like to watch so much?" Arcee mocked. "Humans multiply."

The young humans turned their attention from Jazz and Arcee towards the others. Bumblebee was already familiar to the boys, but Hot Ride- not so much. The red-and-silver Autobot unnoticeably shorter then Jazz and had the flame design on his chest. His helmet also had some flames, looking like horns. The tailpipes were placed on his forearms, while the doors formed the wings. It was hard to tell where the tires are, but he did look great nevertheless.

Next was a duo of huge, hulking Autobots. The red-and-black one was covered in multiple 'scars' all over. Even his face was covered in two scars running down his face. His back was huge and looked like a backpack. Four wheels were on his feet, two on his arms and last two on his shoulders, forming the joints. The one next to him was green, with rather short legs and wide jaw. (**Bulkhead looks like in the show**). He seemed a bit clumsy while moving.

Then there was the white-and-red robot by the monitors, who looked at them with a curious expression. "So these are the humans? How easy to squash them." He said with a grumpy voice.

"Ratchet. How 'bout you take a chill pill?" Jazz said, surprisingly with authority. Then Miko took off to the hulking two.

"Hi. I'm Miko. Who are you?" she asked both. The two looked at each other before answering.

"Bulkhead."

"Ironhide."

"Cool. Where do you come from? What do you transform into? I bet you guys are a monster truck and a tank. Do you use a wrecking ball for a punching bag? Are these scars from some battle or something?" she asked them all these questions on one breathe. Ironhide reached out to his lower back and pulled out what looked like a shotgun.

"The human seems overloaded." He said. "Can I take her out?"

"Say what?!" the kids asked in surprise and fear.

"Ironhide. You know we DON'T harm humans." Jazz lectured the sergeant. "What is with you?"

"Well, I'm just saying we could… It's an option." He excused himself, earning a slap to the back of his head.

"You're lucky I ain't Optimus. 'cause it'd hurt otherwise."

"Calm down, Jazz." A new voice spoke. Everyone turned to see the tallest of the group enter the room. The giant had blue legs with tires forming his knees and ankles. His abs were formed from a grill. Then the kids noticed the headlights forming the backs of his blue-fingered hands and truck windows on his chest. If they could see it, they would notice tires on his back, just between the smoke stacks. Optimus kneeled to the humans. Surprisingly, unlike the other Autobots, and unlike Jazz, he had a face plate, which was moving as he spoke. "We are the autonomous robotic organisms from planet Cybertron. You may refer to us as Autobots."

"Okay… so what exactly does that tell us?" Jack asked, unimpressed.

"It may not tell you anything." Optimus continued. "But we fear that upon crashing on your world we may have brought our war to you."

"W-wait… what war?" Raf asked with a worried tone. "Who are you fighting? And why would they attack us?"

"Our planet, Cybertron, was once a peaceful world. Something similar to you 'paradise'. But then we were attacked by an alien civilization. During the Vok Wars one would rise to lead us to victory. However, the end of that war marked the beginning of an even greater one. Megatron returned victorious from the final campaign that ended the Vok Wars. But he returned as an even greater enemy. And conquered nearly entire planet, leaving only Iacon as free city to fight him and his followers, the Decepticons. We left Cybertron in hope to find and/or refine enough to gather enough strength in a counterattack."

"So… let me guess." Miko spoke. "You came here and this Megatron guy followed you here?"

"He followed us- yes." Optimus continued. "But in the after match of our battle both our cruisers crash landed on your planet. We came back online about ten Earth years ago, believing the Decepticons to be gone- destroyed or leaving, believing us to be. However, lately, they made their presence here clear."

"And you think they'll enslave us?" Jack asked.

"I do not think Megatron finds your existence of any significance worth his attention. Though he may attack anyone he perceives as our ally. Especially you, Jack Darby."

Jack did seem to react at all. Then his organic brain processed everything, looked around and said the exact words teenager would say in this situation:

"What?!"

"Wait. Why would they take one human, a kid at that, of taking notice?" the preteen asked.

"You patched up 'Cee 'ere." Jazz answered, pointing at Arcee with his thumb. "We thought you humans would be too far back to even comprehend our tech but you fixed her."

"Well, if you must know, she was a motorcycle when I fixed her." Jack tried to explain. "I admit, I noticed some parts that are too advanced for any bike I ever produced, but still…"

"Jack." Optimus caught the kids' attention again. "You might be the only one with the brilliant enough mind to see though our technology. If Megatron learns about this, I have no doubt he will want to use you for his evil plots."

"Optimus, with all due respect." Bumblebee spoke. "But what would he need a primitive for? No offense." He quickly spoke to the kids. "It's not like Megatron needs…"

* * *

**Decepticon base**

"An accelerated energon fusion reactor core?!" Megatron shouted, slamming Starscream into the hallway. The commander flew quite a distance before finally stopping. To his misfortune, however, Megatron was already by his side, lifting the flyer by his throat. "Do you have any idea how much of a setback you caused us with your STUPIDITY?!"

"B-but my Lord…" Starscream tried to speak. "If we can fix it… surely we can leave this planet with what…. Energon we possess."

"How can someone like you claim to be a more suitable ruler when you fail to see the bigger picture?!" Megatron asked, throwing Starscream into the wall. "The fact you had the reactor dismantled to build a cloaking device was already stupid. It is a miracle it did not explode, uniting us with the Allspark. But do you even realize that repairing it is both time consuming AND DANGEROUS?! In order to safely repair it, we would need to do it without removing its outer shell!"

Oh indeed, Megatron was upset. The thing is, upon awakening, being rather paranoid at the time, Starscream demanded for a way to cloak their crashed ship. However, since the accelerated energon fusion reactor core was the only functional power source around, the Decepticon commander demanded it plug it in. Soundwave suggested making adjustments and repairs before that but, well… Starscream wasn't patient. In the end, repairing the reactor core is virtually impossible. Any attempt to remove its shell would result in releasing a powerful energon wave which would fry their circuitry- and that was the best scenario.

"B-but, Lord Megatron... Surely, we can get… someone inside to… f-fix it?" Starscream suggested, since this was the only option left since they couldn't waste time. Surely they could gather the resources and build a new one. But the technology on this planet was far too primitive. And even if, the energon de-focusing crystal, necessary to make the reactor work properly and stable, was the one part they just wouldn't be able to make. They just didn't have the resources.

"And where would you find someone small enough to get the job? Rumble is too clumsy and too wide to fit in!" Megatron snarled as he slammed Starscream to the floor. As the flyer raised his head, he saw Megatron's fusion cannon pointing at him. "I am losing patience, Starscream. You'd better come up with a really good plan before I blast you into nothingness."

Starscream was trembling with wide optics. If he couldn't come up with something good, the Decepticon warlord would blast him He was thinking hard, trying to come up with something, but couldn't. Only some nonsense was coming from his mouth. He could see Megatron's cannon charging up, ready to fire. The Decepticon commander shut his optics.

"Megatron." Soundwave spoke, entering the room and getting the leader's attention. "Skywarp and Thundercracker reporting. Ravage has found something intriguing."

Megatron dropped his cannon and turned his full attention towards the communications officer. Meanwhile Starscream, discovering he was spared, sighed in relieve.

"Is that so, Soundwave?" the black Cybertronian with silver parts on his chest asked with curiosity.

"Speculation: It is possible Ravage found the biggest energon deposit this planet has to offer. Or the humans developed a device that we might use." He answered.

* * *

Megatron, Soundwave and Starscream walked outside the ship just in time to find to planes incoming. One was a blue Eurofighter Typhoon, while the other was a black F-16 Fighting Falcon. As they transformed, the Cybertronians were similar to Megatron's second-in-command. Yet they had their differences.

Skywarp, the black one, was taller, with a serious expression on his face. Also, unlike Starscream, his wings folded downwards, not upwards.

Then there was Thundercracker, whose cockpit window was on the right arm and the helmet was more round.

"Lord Megatron." Skywarp spoke. "We live to serve."

"Aye." His partner followed. "And we believe Ravage here's got something that might interest you."

Then Ravage jumped of Skywarp and rushed towards Soundwave. The communications officer stood still as the feline robot jumped onto his and transformed into the lower frame around his screen on the chest. Within seconds, the screen no longer showed the Decepticon insignia. But what Ravage used to see. Every Decepticon could see how Ravage engaged the Autobot Arcee and damage her. The next thing they saw, caught Megatron wonder.

"A human. And he… repaired the Autobot?" he got surprised. The humans were primitive creature. And vulnerable. Yet was able to patch up a Cybertronian. As he continued to watch, a smile formed on Megatron's face. "Seems like we got ourselves a way to fix the reactor. We only need to get him."

"Observation: Autobots made contact. Statement: Autobots will watch the boy." Soundwave said. That made Megatron growl in annoyance.

"My, how poorly you performed, my Lord." Starscream commented. "The plan sounded good, but you clearly overlooked that the Autobots will…" he was cut off by the blast from Megatron's fusion cannon, that sent him flying back inside the Nemesis. As the Decepticon leader did not turn to Starscream at that time, he did not turn now, thinking deeply. If they could repair the reactor, then the cruiser would be mobile. But the human, being small and agile enough to fit in, as well as intelligent enough to quickly grasp the mechanics, was needed. But since the Autobots got to him first…

"We will have the boy brought to us. No matter what." He stated. Then he turned the communication officer. "Soundwave! Take Genocide and bring me the boy."

"S-surely, Megatron… I could do the job myself and, uh… prove my worth to you." Starscream said, still trying to pull himself together.

"No, Starscream. For this assignment I need someone who won't fail me. I will not entrust something so important to an incompetent cretin like you. Besides, I have a more suitable assignment for you and your group, Seeker." Megatron addressed him by the group-name that Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker have not heard in millennia. And if Megatron called them Seekers, then this must have been something truly big.

* * *

**Autobot base**

The Autobots looked at the kids for a long time. Especially at Jack. But Jack was far from calm. He seemed rather frustrated.

"You gotta be kiddin' me!" he shouted. "I've seen what you guys can do and there is no way I'm sticking around!"

"Jack. This is merely for your own safety." Optimus said. "No harm will come to you as long as you're under our watch."

"I… argh!" the teen was frustrated. He took a deep breath and thought before continuing. "Look, perhaps you have good intentions, alright? But there's no way we want to get involved into this whole intergalactic war you're having."

"Speak for yourself, dude." Miko made herself clear, "I'm living a dream here. And I'm not leaving."

"Look kid." Arcee decided to speak and try to make Jack see reason. "You were already seen with me. Interacting with you was not our intention- ever. But since you found me and the 'Cons saw you with me, they probably think of you as our friend and may target you. So until it's safe you'd best stay here and deal with it. Got me?"

"Whoa, that's harsh, girl." Jazz commented. Then Optimus spoke again.

"Arcee may have spoken to harshly. But she is correct. We have just recently lost our comrade at by the hands of the Decepticons. And we wish not to involve you into our conflict. But since they saw you with one of us, we are responsible for your well-being." Jack looked around, at everyone and EVERYBOT. Of course he understood them. They unintentionally got the human life dragged into their conflict and tried to do something about it. He had to admit it- these guys at least were taking the responsibility for their actions. Besides, what if the Decepticons were to actually try and kidnap him? What if Kelly got involved? No, he couldn't lose her too.

"See your point." He said, more in defeat then they realized. Then he heard the ringing. Jack looked at his cellphone and gasped. "Um… why don't I have a signal?"

"The place is undercover, fool. No way to even track the tool." Jazz answered.

"Well, this is bad. If I don't call my sister, she'll call the cops."

"Have you broken the law?" Optimus asked.

"What?! No! But if I don't get back home before 9 PM, I'm gonna be in trouble." Jack explained.

"I… should be back home too." Raf said.

"Earth customs. I did not take it into account." Optimus sighed. Of course, even the wisest can't think of everything. "However, I do not wish to risk the Decepticons getting to you. Bumblebee, you will watch over Raf." He said looking at the yellow scout. The short bot looked at the preteen, then back at his leader and smiled.

Then The Last Prime looked at Bulkhead. "Bulkhead… Miko is your charge."

"Suh-weet." Miko cheered. "Wait till my host parents see you."

"And remain in vehicle mode." Optimus added, making Miko complain. Then he turned to the female Autobot. "Arcee. You're with Jack."

"Sure thin… WHAT?!" Arcee wasn't so pleased. "Nah-ah. No way, Optimus. I'd rather go with you on that assignment."

"You know Jazz is more suitable for that mission since he's more experienced." Optimus said.

"Yeah… but thanks. I think I'd rather take my chances with the scar-face there- Ironhide was it?" Jack added his two cents.

Optimus 'smirked' "Ironhide draws a little too much attention." Then he turned to Arcee. "I'm not sure why you're hostile towards the boy, Arcee, but I am asking you this because you are already familiar with him. And you are the only unassigned Autobot here."

Jack seemed to glare at the red giant and the female robot. Jazz seemed to notice it and read the atmosphere. He approached the boy and whispered to him. "She may act rough, but she's a sweet girl on the inside." He stood up and addressed both the boy and the two-wheeler. "Try to get along- and NOT dismantle each other." He joked. "Alright, Ratchet! Open up!"

As Raphael and Miko rode off with their Autobot guardians, Arcee and Jack seemed to glare at each other before looking away. But, she did had her orders. So she transformed into her vehicle mode. Jack wasn't so sure about it, but got on her. Then they left.

"I must say, Optimus, that assigning Arcee and Jack together was a bad idea." Ratchet commented, not turning away from the monitors.

"Perhaps, old friend." Optimus said. "But they will have learn to respect each other. Now, set in the coordinates and ground bridge us towards the destination."

The medic nodded, as he inputted the coordinates and pulled the switch. Once again the vortex opened. Prime and Jazz charged into it.

* * *

**Jasper, Nevada**

Jack and Arcee weren't talking to each other. They had nothing to talk about. It made the teen somehow uncomfortable and feel like some jerk, but hey, she was a pain as well. It was obvious they wouldn't get along. Neither one of them wanted to have anything to do with the other.

Finally, Jack could see his house. He let his Autobot guardian know where to turn. As they approached, Jack got off her to open the garage. Then he wanted to let her know to get in, when he noticed the neighbors walk out. Not wanting to get any attention, he grabbed her by the handlebars and got her inside.

"That was unnecessary, kid." Arcee commented.

"Well, a motorcycle that drives itself into a garage isn't something that wouldn't drag unwanted attention." Jack replied.

"Jackson? Is that you?" a woman's voice caught him off guard. The door to the house opened and a young brunette woman in her early twenties stepped out. "Where were you? I was beginning to think…" she paused when she saw Arcee… in her vehicle mode. "No way. We talked about this."

"Kelly, sis. This bike isn't mine." Jack started to explain. "I found this bike under the bridge some time ago and fixed it. I'm just waiting for the owner to come pick it up… if he or SHE ever gets the message." He said the last sentence more to Arcee than to Kelly.

The young woman eyed her little brother for a moment critically, before she sighed. "Jackson, look, I know your down lately. Especially with THE day coming up in two weeks. And I too am feeling down now. But listen, baby brother, we still have each other. That's what makes me wanna keep smiling. Get it?"

"Of course I get it. Where did that come from? You thing I could stay sane if something was to happen to you?"

She hugged him after hearing him say that. "Good. That's all I need to know. That you know who your family is and that you're safe." She ruffled his hair. Then she looked back at the bike. "So… you think you'll keep the bike should the owner not show up?"

"Wha…? Um…"

"Then I get the first ride!" She announced in a childish manner and walked back home.

Jack sighed with a smile. At times she acts like a grown up, being his legal guardian, and sometimes she would act child-like, like a sister. "Yup. I would definitely be depressed without you, sis." He said to himself.

"Nice family." Arcee commented, reminding Jack of her presence.

"And here's someone who will make me go bonkers."

"Relax. As soon as we know the 'Cons are not after you I will go my way." She said. As Jack closed the garage door, she switched to her robot mode. "Still, looks like you got someone to watch over you."

"Then why don't get yourself a partner?" Jack asked, making his way to the door. As he was about to open, Arcee slammed her servo on the floor , quietly enough not to disturb Kelly, yet hard enough to make Jack flinch.

"My partner was the bot that got scrapped by the 'Cons just recently." She said with an angry expression and voice.

Jack felt bad and wanted to apologies. "I-I'm sorry."

"Why do you care?" she asked, as if insulted.

"Hey, you think you're the only one with problems?"

"I don't see how girl problem or sister problem counts."

Now Jack felt insulted. "You're right! My father was a soldier and he died in the war some far, far away country in a war that was not our business! Then, mom died a few months later, simply losing the will to live! So you're right, Arcee! You're the ONLY ONE who lost someone!" he nearly shouted. He took a few deep breaths while looking at Arcee's surprised/ shocked expression before making his way to the door to the house hallway.

Arcee was speechless when she heard the teen's story. Finally, she decided to speak. "Jack, I…"

"Forget it." He stated, slamming the door. The female Autobot sighed heavily. Now she felt really bad. She now realized how self-centered she was since Cliffjumper's death. She switched back to her vehicle mode thinking. She felt sorry for the boy. Mostly for having to endure her bad attitude.

Little did she know Jack was having the same thoughts.

* * *

**Outside of Jasper**

Soundwave and Genocide stepped outside the small drop ship. They looked around to find the road near their position. Then the communications officer looked down at his torso, as the lower frame of the screen detached and transformed into a robotic cat.

"Ravage, transform. Operation: Hunt down." He said. And the tracker transformed and set off.

The hunt began.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A.N.:** Hope you're enjoying. Till next time.

Cast:

**Thundercracker**- Steven Blum or John Dimaggio

**Skywarp**- Corey Burton


	5. 04 New World- part 4

**A few words before we start. First off, I'm going to experiment with Thundercracker, to make him sound more original. I just hope the translator I found is reliable. Let me know what you think and/or advise if you'll dislike it (But no haters, please for cryin' out louds. Would you like people to hurt your feelings?)**

**Second- I have my ideas of which Transformers are to appear, but I'd like to hear your wishes as well. So don't hesitate to suggest your favorites.**

**Now on with the show... I mean fic.**

* * *

**-04-**

**New world**

**-Part 4-**

Optimus and Jazz were walking towards the Aztec pyramid. They were amazed by what the humans could build despite their small size. The structure was colossal in size. It was a huge, triangle-like structure with stairs. It was covered in plant-life, meaning it was abandoned centuries ago. But the site viewing had to be put aside. The computer picked up some strange energy spike from this structure. They decided to investigate it.

"So, wanna do the honors and open the door, Boss Bot?" Jazz asked.

"Let's roll." Optimus answered, entering a hole in the pyramid's side, big enough to let them enter. Inside they saw a huge cave entrance. Not wasting any time, they switched to their vehicle modes and rolled.

They were unaware of three fighter planes passing above the pyramid.

* * *

**Outside Jasper**

"Miko, I'm supposed to be _protecting_ you." Bulkhead said, standing on the edge of a cliff in his vehicle mode. His charge somehow talked him into giving her a ride that would have any normal person terrified. The Japanese girl just smiled.

"Bulk. I'm inside 10 tons of muscled steel. I'm protected." She assured him. Guessing he wouldn't talk her out of it, he rolled downward the cliff, skipping the racks that could cause him lose balance. While he was freaking out at times, Miko just let out the cries of excitement.

"Now off to base, as we agreed." The green SUV spoke when it was over.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

A yellow car parked in the shadow of a huge rock. Inside, a young boy was playing on the console with the alien robot. The boy seemed to be handling well. He already scored more points than his guardian. But then Bumblebee made a maneuver that got him out. The child moaned in defeat.

"Yeah. In your face." 'Bee cheered, making Raf chuckle.

"No fair, Bumblebee." Raf complained in a humorous tone. "You've been driving way longer than me."

"Well, you can have a rematch in the base." Bumblebee comforted the glasses-wearing human as he took off.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

One could wonder just how awkward can silence be. Well, while the others seemed to be having fun, these two didn't start off so well. When Jack got up, Arcee just told him to hop on. The teen just cooperated, not wanting to have any fight with her. He felt bad enough about last night. What surprised him though was the femme bot's tone. It wasn't as harsh or hostile as usual. It was neutral. This got the boy to worry a bit. Arcee was in the same position at first, but quickly came to conclusion that the teen must be feeling sorry for his behavior. While she was happy to know he didn't mean to be a jerk to her, felt worse about her own attitude.

So, instead of turning to the ground bridge spot chosen in advance, she just stayed on the road. From what she learned about the boy so far, she knew he must've loved bikes. So she decided to give him the best ride one could ever dream about. She sped up, raising her front wheel into the air, surprising Jack.

"Whoa, Arcee. What's got into ya?" he asked, as his guardian set her wheel back down.

"Well, since we're not being attacked, chased or anything, I thought you might enjoy the ride." She answered with a happy tone. Apparently she too was enjoying the ride. That's when Jack got the idea why Arcee was so quiet and friendly since morning. He smirked under his helmet.

"Well then, before we start fighting again… bring. It. ON!" he clearly dared her to impress him. Accepting the challenge, she put the metal to the pedal.

Little did the two know that a black robotic cat was watching them from a rock nearby, growling. Two Cybertronians walked over and stood next to it.

"Target located." Soundwave spoke. "Autobot identified. Priority: Capture human."

At the sound of that, Genocide roared, slamming his fist into his other hand.

* * *

**Somewhere beneath the Aztec pyramid**

The caves would go on for miles, leaving the signs of the human culture behind. Optimus Prime and his second-in-command were walking through this maze for a couple of hours at times, they would see some support beams. But the deeper they got, the rarer was their presence. Finally they reached the part of the cave that seemed… alien. It was huge and there was no way for its formation to be natural. Yet there was clearly no sign of human work. What could form this cave?

Their question was put aside when Jazz saw a faint light at the end of the tunnel. He ran forward and disappeared. Before Optimus could get near enough for the light to vanish…

"Optimus! You gotta see this!" his lieutenant called. Finally The Last of the Primes exited the tunnel and walked into a huge chamber. The sight was marvelous. Even the Autobot leader was at awe. It was enormous and sphere-like. There were some shelves and rock platforms around. The stalactites above them were so huge even the red-and-blue giant could hang on them. Even trees were growing in some spots.

Then Jazz pointed at the center of the chamber. There was a glowing crystal. Optimus adjusted his optics to take a better look, while Jazz placed his fingers by the frame of his visor, which turned from brilliant blue glow to nearly black. Now they could see it more precisely- it was a yellow glowing crystal. The Autobots' optics widened in shock.

"Super energon…" Optimus said. "I believe we now know what could form the cave network under the pyramid."

"Well, better take it before the 'Cons get to find it." Jazz said and started leaping onto the rocks in a ninja style. As always, he was stylish. However, his jumps were better than Arcee's. Prime could see more grace in Jazz's movement. More swiftness.

Finally, the stylish Autobot landed by the crystal and grabbed it. "Got it, Prime."

"Ye hae oor gratitude, mukkers (You have our gratitude, friends.)" A new, yet familiar voice, called. The two looked upwards. At the far side of the chamber, yet above, where three Seekers- Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker. The blue Decepticon continued. "Nou haun ower that rock, if ye please. (Now hand over the rock, if you please)" He said, pointing his blaster at the same time.

Jazz was looking at Thundercracker weirdly. "Scottish? Seriously, Thundercracker? You're givin' the poor humans a bad reputation."

"At least ah ken 'laddy' is oot o' ignorance, nae actual scots (At least I know 'laddy' is out of ignorance, not actual Scottish)."

"Then you scored a few good points…" Jazz was about to compliment the Seeker, when…

"Enough, you two linguistic malfunctions!" Starscream shouted. "Attack!" he ordered, firing from the blaster that extended from his forearm, next to the missle mounted on it.

All three Seekers opened fire. While Optimus hit behind a rock to counter-fire, Jazz grabbed the super energon and leaped away, avoiding the shots. As he jumped onto one shelf, it collapsed. Jazz shot his grabbling hook towards the nearest stalactite. As the cyber-ninja swung towards his leader, Starscream transformed into F-15 Eagle and flew towards the stylish Autobot.

* * *

**Outside Jasper**

Jack Arcee just made another maneuver before they actually got back on the road. Jack was actually laughing whole heartly. He had fun. Arcee felt good about it. Real good to have someone enjoy it with her. Then she remembered why she gave him a joy ride in the first place and decided she did enough.

"Okay, Jack." She caught the teen's attention. "We had fun but it's time to hit the base."

Jack didn't reply. Actually he was in deep thought. He seemed to gather his courage before he spoke. "Look, Arcee. I'm, uh… Sorry for acting like a jerk yesterday."

"You'd better be, kid." Arcee commented. "I didn't give you a joy ride for free, y'know."

"Excuse me?" Jack questioned her. "Didn't you give me that 'joy ride' for the _other_ reason?"

Arcee mentally flinched. Could the kid know? Nah… "I have no idea what's your delusion."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you're one of those who acted tough, yet have no gut to openly apologize." Jack commented with a smirk.

Arcee was now shocked. This little organic runt saw straight through her. "Not another word, you runt, or you'll walk your way to the spot." She sounded irritated.

"Oh great." Jack complained. "Just tell me I didn't strike a nerve, because you're too proud to admit your mistake."

"What'd you say?" now the cyber-ninja was slightly angry. "You saying I'm afraid to say 'sorry'?"

"You know what my dad used to say once?" Jack asked, though more rhetorically than he'd admit. "'When you take pride in your strength, admitting your error is the one thing that truly requires your strength'. That's what he told me once."

"That's it. The minute we hit the base, I'll have Optimus get someone else to watch you. I don't care what he says." Arcee said, speeding up. Jack sighed heavily. He didn't mean to get on her nerves, honestly. On the other hand, maybe he would be free from her at least?

The two than heard a thundering noise above them. As they looked up, the noticed two Sukhoi PAK FAs. One was entirely black with purple stripes, the other was with red stripes. The two jets finally dived towards them, transforming into a single, hulking robot. Arcee stopped and switched to her bipedal form. Her face was filled with terror as she looked at the growling Decepticon.

"Genocide." She whispered, loudly enough for Jack to hear. Then she looked at Jack. "Get out of here!" she ordered him.

"B-but… What about you?!" the human asked with fear and concern.

"Just run! You'll get in the way!" she said, extending blades from both her forearms. She dashed at the hulking Decepticon, who fortunately was incapable of running. She jumped over him, trying to cut him. The Decepticon was extremely durable, ending with scratches. He roared as he turned to the female Autobot, ready to attack. He raised his servo high before bringing it down, trying to smash her.

"ARCEE!" Jack shouted before his guardian managed to leap away. However, the teen's shout got Genocide's attention. He gulped, fearing the giant Cybertronian would attack him. Arcee was about to charge again to get the 'Con's attention.

To her surprise, Genocide turned back to her and started walking at quick space- as that was as fast as he could move. Arcee smiled and was mentally relieved. The 'Con had no interest in the boy. He was after her. She smiled as she wanted to let out her anger of losing Cliffjumper on someone. Since she couldn't do it on Jack, even though he was with her, the hulking giant would do. She had the advantage of speed and agility. She could do this. "Go, Jack! You're just in the way! GO!" She yelled before engaging Genocide.

Jack listened to her, ran towards the rocks nearby and hid behind one. He looked at the fight. It was brutal. He stepped away even more. He did not want to see the fight. He wanted to go somewhere where he wouldn't even hear it. And he was unaware of a purple black-and-silver Decepticon not far away. The upper frame of his screen shot out from his chest, transforming into a black robotic bird.

"Laserbeak- Eject. Operation: Capture." Soundwave gave out the command. The Cybertronian bird obeyed and dashed towards the teen. Jack noticed the Decepticon, but all he could do was scream when he got caught.

The scream caught the femme's attention. She looked to find the 'Con communications officer walking onto the road, accompanied by Laserbeak, who was holding the human in its talons. "Jack!" she cried, dashing in their direction. That was a stupid move, as Genocide caught her. He was easily holding her in one hand before ramming her into the nearest boulder. Then he pulled her out and strike again. And again. Then he let her go, as her body was laid in the boulder. But to finish it, he delivered a powerful punch that send her flying through it and into another boulder, which in turn collapsed onto her. Genocide let out some growling sound that seemed to be his chuckle. Then he looked at Soundwave, who transformed into a pimped van and drove off, followed by Laserbeak. Genocide soon transformed and followed.

Arcee barely managed to dig herself out of the rubble, only to see the enemy run with their captor. "No…" she whispered weakly, pressing her Autobot insignia on her collar section just before going into stasis. She did manage only to whisper: "Jack… I'm…. so… rry…"

* * *

**Unknown location**

Jack rammed the door again. All he did was hurt himself. Why did the Decepticons lock him in the small booth? Well, that question went aside when he wondered why they took him to some abandoned airport. It seemed well secured, being guarded with dozens of Vehicons. The teen was somewhat familiar with the place. It was just 10 miles or so from Jasper. If he could somehow get out, he could reach his hometown and hide. Wait, what was he thinking? If he did that, the Decepticons would attack it. They would hurt Kelly. So what should he do? He didn't get the chance to think about that as a small robot, about 7 feet tall, with black-and-yellow body approached the door. The small Cybertronian opened the door and dragged the human towards Soundwave. The communications officer looked down at the human, while two Vehicons set down a large, red, armored sphere-like device, gently.

"Human. You will fix the accelerated energon fusion reactor core so our ship can take off." Soundwave instructed, pointing at the device.

Jack just gave him a hard look. "Why don't you do it yourselves?" he asked harshly, unwilling to cooperate.

"Impossible. Repair require dismantling. But this course of action endangers us. Conclusion: must enter the core and repair from inside."

"And if I refuse?" Jack asked, trying to act strong.

"Do this or we shall attack the nearest inhabited region. Kill all humans. Then attack another settlement." Soundwave explained.

"So you'd better get to work, worm." Rumble, the small Decepticon holding Jack, said. "Or I shall…" he caught Jack by the throat, slowly increasing pressure.

"Okay, okay, OKAY…!" Jack agreed. He decided to cooperate. But it was not because of his life being threatened. It was Kelly's he wanted safe. When Rumble let him go, Jack approached the sphere. Soundwave opened a small hatch in it, so the boy could get in. However Jack was hesitant. "Don't I at least get some protection from the radiation?"

Soundwave just directed what appeared to be a cannon on his shoulder at Jack and fired. Jack was terrified. But when he noticed he was still alive, he felt relief. Soundwave was shooting some silver ray at him. Then, after a minute or so, he stopped. "This energy shell shall provide sufficient protection for a cycle."

"A cycle? How many hours would that be?" he asked.

"Never mind. Get to work." Rumble threatened. Jack entered the sphere to start working.

Inside, Jack could see the complex technology and was amazed. The scarlet crystal especially got his attention. He could also see multiple obviously damaged parts around him. He could stall for time, but had no quarantine the rescue would come before the Decepticons decide to terminate him or attack Jasper. So he took a look at the damage. Then put his head out.

"I'm gonna need tools here! Think I can ask for that much?!" he asked sarcastically. Rumble seemed to get provoked, but Soundwave stopped him. Then he reached to the other side of the room and passed a red tool box. Jack didn't know what to think. Should he be happy that he'll live a little longer or be irritated he couldn't stall for time. He sighed heavily, giving up and took the tools inside. He knew they would watch him, so it was better to cooperate… for now. But before he started, he pulled out his cellphone, twisted some wires in the Cybertronian tech and plugged the improvised cable into his phone, selecting Raf's phone number. He hoped that would work.

* * *

**Beneath the Aztec pyramid**

Another missile flew by Jazz's head when he jumped off the stalactite. He was just a stalagmite platform away from Optimus, who was providing cover fire. Jazz was fortunate to have a boulder next to him to take cover. He looked at his leader, who too had to cover. The Seekers were now shooting like mad. They were doing everything to retrieve the super energon. Then Jazz saw an opening. He ran and leaped, with all his might. He was half way there…

Then Skywarp vanish in a violet-and-green flash, only to reappear next to Jazz and sucker punch him. The gold crystal fell out of his hand and hit the edge. It hit hard enough to crack off a small shard. But Skywarp didn't notice that. He just grabbed the crystal and warped back to his blue fellow Seeker.

"I've got it!" Skywarp announced.

"Excellent, Skywarp." Starscream called. "Now, we can return to Nemesis. Seekers, follow me!"

"See ya later, Autobots!" Thundercracker called before transforming. "'n' ta fur th' instrument o` yer destruction. (And thank you for the instrument of your destruction.)" The seekers, before they left through the opening in the ceiling, shot out their missiles, causing the cave in. As the flyers flew out, the Optimus leaned down the edge to find his friend climbing up.

"Jazz! Give me your hand!" he called, reaching out his servo.

Jazz picked up the small shard of the super energon, hit in the utility box on his hip and took the Prime's hand. When the giant pulled out his lieutenant up, the two transformed and rolled out. As the cave collapse, the two were, fortunately, safe.

"Oh, man. Good guys- 0. Bad guys- 2." Jazz announced the score. The first point being Cliffjumper's death.

"This is a grim news indeed, old friend." Optimus replied. "However, I am not giving up just yet. The next battle will end in our favor."

* * *

**Autobot base**

Ratchet pulled poor Arcee out of the CR chamber. She was still groaning in pain, holding her head. It was a good thing the old medic decided to send Bumblebee and Hot Ride to look for her. What he didn't expect though was her alone, beaten and alone.

Arcee finally switched her optics online and looked around, before recognizing the base. "Wha-what happened?" she asked blankly. Then she recalled. "Oh, yeah. I remember. I was attacked by Genocide. Knew he packed a punch but this?"

She didn't even realize how her words got the others to react. Then Ratchet placed his hand on the femme's shoulder. "Arcee? Where's Jack?" he asked.

"The human kid? He's safe. I told him to run and…" her optics widened as her voice lost any trace of relaxation. She was disturbed. It would appear that for a while she lost the memory of the events. But now she could recall. And it terrified her. "They got Jack!" She said. And it got others shocked.

"Well, unless they need him to help repair a few Vehicons, I don't see why they would need a human." Ratchet commented. Then he looked at Miko and Rafael. "I don't mean to insult you or anything, but I fail to see why the Decepticons would find any of you of any use."

"Is there no way to find him?" Raf asked with concern.

"The Decepticons are good at hiding their tracks. I don't think we'll find him anytime soon." Ratchet sighed heavily at the grim thought.

Then Raf heard his phone. His got a text message? But when he pulled it out, there were only some beeps and woos. "That's strange. What's with the Morse code?" he thought out loud.

"A Morse code?" Hot Ride asked.

"An old way of communication, using a sequence of signals, long and short." The preteen explained.

"Like a decrypted message?" Ironhide asked.

"Judging by the signals… it's Jack!" Raf figured, getting everyone's attention. "His calling for help!"

"I'm not sure how he could send a message from the location that must be cut off from the world, but maybe we can track him." Ratchet thought as he approached the console.

"Let me help." Raf said, pulling out his laptop and starting. Ratchet, of course, scowled.

"Yip yip, yip, yip. This is not a game. And what can you possibly know about tracking down the transmission source through radio…"

"You found him, Raf!" Miko cheered. Ratchet's jaw actually dropped when the screen of their computer finally showed the same location as Raf's laptop.

"Guess you were lucky." Ratchet commented. "Anyway, I am opening a ground bridge. Prepare for the rescue mission."

Everyone looked at each other. The team was decided. Since Arcee was Jack guardian she had to go. Then there was Ironhide, their sharp shooter. Next was Bulkhead, who was best at close combat thanks to his wrecking balls. Hot Ride decided to come too, longing for some action. Ratchet types in the coordinates and pulled the lever, opening the vortex. The team of four Autobots charged in.

And when they exited, they saw the old airport. They all hid and looked around, to find a few Vehicons guarding the place. One hanger, in particular, was heavily guarded. The 'Bots guessed that Jack must've been held in there. For what purpose they would soon find out.

"So what's the plan?" Bulkhead asked.

"I say we hit them hard while we have the element of surprise." Hot Ride said.

"Cute. But we need to save the kid, not speed up his end." Ironhide spoke.

"How about this? You and Bulk get their attention while Hot Ride and I sneak in." Arcee thought.

"Why not just ram them?" an unexpected voice asked. The giant robots looked down with wide optics to find the Japanese exchange student. "What?" she asked, as if her presence was something unnatural.

"Miko? What are you doing here?" Bulkhead asked.

"I came to help, duh." She answered plainly.

"Miko! This is not a… oh, never mind. Bulk, keep Miko safe." Ironhide ordered.

"Why do I have to?" He asked.

"Because Hot Ride was not assigned as her guardian." He answered, sounding like a typical sergeant. "Now then, we'll go with Arcee's plan. We'll get their attention. When the two of you see the opening, get in, find Jack and get out of there. Got it?" he addressed the two.

Arcee and Hot Ride nodded and made their way around, carefully, not wanting to get the Vehicons' attention. Meanwhile, the weapon specialist pulled out his cannons and shotgun. "Now then… how do we attract the Decepticreeps' attention?" he wondered, looking at Bulkhead.

While the green Cybertronian shrugged his arms, Miko seemed to have an idea and pointed at something. "How about a fuel explosion? That'll be suh-weet." She said. Ironhide turned to find an old tank truck. He smiled sadistically and took aim as the cannons opened, revealing rocket launchers.

* * *

Nothing seemed to happen. After all, why should anything happen? They were in the middle of nowhere, for Primus's sake. And Soundwave ensured that no sensor would find this place. None would admit it, but some thought that the Decepticon superiors were paranoid. They would think it true when an explosion caught their attention. A huge cloud of black smoke rose, making most Vehicons abandon their post at heading towards the source of it. While they left, two Autobots found their opening and entered the hangar.

Inside, Both Arcee and Hot Ride were met with the small 'Con, Rumble. His knuckles were heavily armored. The point of it revealed when he hit the ground with his fist, causing an earthquake.

"Sorry, Autoscraps. But nothin' passes beyond this point." He arrogantly said, continuing his strikes. The place seemed ready to collapse, when Hot Ride's tailpipe on his right arm fired. The shot missed, but startled the small warrior long enough to have him shot by another one.

"Slag, how I hate that little rust bucket." The red Autobot commented. Arcee shook her head at the statement, though she agreed with him. Rumble was one of those Decepticons that, while not amongst the strongest, could pack a punch. Then they heard a group of Vehicons approaching. "Scrap. Alpha Slide?" he asked the blue femme, who smiled back, extending her blades.

"Gladly." She replied, as they both charged.

* * *

Soundwave stood still. He could hear the sounds of battle. He was aware of what was going on inside and outside the hangar. But he was focused on his objective. He kept his visor on the sphere at his feet, watching. At long last, the human came out of it, sweaty, scratched, burnt in some places and with his protective cloak vanishing. He was breathing heavily and sat down, as the communications officer began to scan the device. Jack saw this and decided to run while he had the chance. Luckily, there was a path between machineries and planes, too narrow for the Decepticon officer to follow.

So he dashed. Soundwave turned to the human, who was already running down the narrow path. He did not bother however to follow him. He saw no need to. he pressed his fingers against the side of his helmet. "Megatron. Reactor core repaired. Mission successful."

"Excellent, Soundwave." Megatron answered with satisfied tone. "And I heard from Starscream that he's got the super energon. Return to Nemesis immediately."

"As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave replied, as a damaged Vehicon brought Rumble to him. The communications officer grabbed the small Decepticon and placed him on his shoulder cannon, where he transformed into a part of it. Then the big 'Con transformed into a RQ-4 Global Hawk and blasted off, leaving the Vehicon to shut offline.

* * *

Jack just kept running. He could see the exit, so he just stayed with the path he already took. He could see the narrow part was ending, so he stopped, to see if it was safe. That's when a drone hit the ground before him. The teen had to shield his eyes from the dust hitting him. He coughed a few times before opening his eyes, to find a blaster pointing at him. The Vehicon was about to fire. Jack's eyes widened in horror. But fate seemed to find him suffering this nightmare for long enough. The 'Con got his head smashed by a knee. If he weren't paralyzed with fear, he would notice a pair of blue optics spotting him.

"Jack." Arcee said, reaching for him. To her confusion, and horror, he flinched and backed away, as if he took her for a Decepticon. She backed away slowly, raising her servos in hope he would see she means no harm to him. "Whoa, easy there. It's alright. We're here to save you." She said.

"J-ju… Just get me outta here already!" he yelled. Arcee did not argue with him and transformed into her motorcycle form. The minute jack hopped on, they left the hangar. Then they noticed Bulkhead and Ironhide sitting on a pile of scrapped Vehicons. The two, and Miko, waved at them, letting them know they're waiting for them.

* * *

**Autobot base**

It has been about 10 minutes since everyone returned to base. Ratchet was attending to Jazz's wounds, which were most serious out of all. Meanwhile, Arcee explained how badly the day went for them all. She told the Last Prime about the Decepticon trap, how Soundwave captured Jack. Optimus wasn't one to let his emotions get out of control, but she knew her leader was upset if not furious. Before she could continue, Miko let them all know how the rescue went.

"You should have seen it, Optimus." She said with ecstasy. Bulk and Ironhide were all like wham and pow. And then they were going bang bang. I even took a few photos."

While the Japanese exchange student could continue, Jack got up, having enough of sitting on the stairs since they returned. "Miko!" he said with harsh, even hostile, voice. "I almost got killed back there! When will that get through that thick skull of yours?"

Miko seemed to take it as an insult. She just refused to take the lecture. "Uh, Jack. Everyone almost got killed. Even them."

"EXACTLY!" he shouted, no longer keeping his anger in bay. Yes, he finally let it out. "This is NOT a game! And yet you treat it like a roller coaster ride or somethin'! The worst part- out of fear, I did as they asked and fixed some device of theirs!"

The Autobots were looking at the teen with wide optics. They forced him to repair something? "How absurd." Ratchet commented. "Just what could they want you to repair for them? A toaster?"

"Something called an accelerated energon fusion reactor core." He said. He looked at the Autobots, who now had fear in their optics. He understood quickly that it was grim news for them.

"This is a grim news." Optimus commented. "If the reactor core is now operational, there is no doubt that Megatron Absolute's cruiser, the Nemesis, is being repaired. Meaning that we may have lost our advantage."

"Not necessarily." Ratchet commended, approaching the console. "The super energon radiates a specific energy. Meaning that I'll be able to track it down no matter the cloaking technology they're using. Especially if it's as big as you reported."

"Well good luck with that." Jack said, still somewhat shaken and not in control of his emotions. "If this is just an average day of yours… than I want nothing to do with this!" he declared.

"What?" Miko was shocked. "Oh, c'mon, Jack. Don't be such a stiff…" she placed her hand on the taller boy's shoulder…

Only to have it slapped off. "Don't touch me!" he shouted again. This time, Miko stepped back, along with Rafael. "I believed you for a moment when you said you wanted to keep us safe. I really wanted to trust you on this." He said to the Autobots. "But ever since you dragged me into your world, my normal life just got endangered. My sister got on the list of people who would be killed. I'm not some action movie badass who can take the threat of a bullet shot into my brain. Ju-just let me leave this crazy place while I still a chance for some normal life already!" he was breathing real hard, as if he just ran a marathon or something. Optimus kneeled down to the teen, sad expression filled with pain was what Jack saw.

"Jack. We never intended for harm to come to you." Optimus said. He wanted to continue, but Jack was faster by raising his hand, gesturing for the red titan to stop.

"Please… just let me go." He said with some difficulty. Optimus stood up and looked at the femme.

"Arcee. Take the boy home." He instructed her, but before she could transform, Jack spoke again.

"No thanks. I've had enough of transforming vehicles and unwilling guardians for one day." He said with a rather harsh, yet quiet tone. Ratchet just opened the ground bridge for Jack to exit the base, explaining how pointless long goodbyes were. Before Jack walked over, he turned to the other humans. He could tell Miko would leave them, but Raf…? "You comin' Raf?" he rather suggested than asked. The preteen just looked at Bumble bee before turning to Jack. He could tell that whatever the raven haired kid's gone through must've been something he wouldn't wish even for the people he hated.

"I'll… stay out of trouble, Jack." Raf said, like a kid tells their parent they understood their lesson.

"Sure thing." He said emotionlessly, finally walking towards the vortex. He didn't need to look to see Arcee walking over to him. As her leg got his way, he just refused to stop or look at her. "I know. You don't exist." He said.

Arcee actually smirked at that. "Don't make me hunt you down." She half joke and watched as the boy entered the vortex. A few emotions ran through her. First was guilt. Guilt for allowing him to go through all this hell. She was supposed to keep him from harm. Meanwhile, she allowed her anger towards the Decepticons to cloud her judgment, thus allowing them to capture him. The other was sadness. No, it was pain. She just lost her partner, Cliffjumper. She had a strong bond of friendship with the blabbering knucklehead. There was still Hot Ride, but he was too prideful most of the times, which would get them into fights. After Cliff's death, she was angry at the world, not wanting any new partners, official partner that is. But there was something about the boy. The teen seemed to make her feel warm. Jack was perhaps the only human who would want to try and understand her.

And now, because of her, he was gone.

And the Decepticons could win their war here tomorrow.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A.N.: Hope you enjoyed it. Till next time, meat bags.**


	6. 05 New World- part 5

**Just before we start, in my other TF fic, "The new prime", some reviewers wanted a sequel or continuation. So, if I may, I'd like to give you a challange. Basically, write a fic where Jack is the new Autobot leader. Here are the rules:**

**1- Optimus, while no longer the leader, must serve as a mentor to Jack**

**2- Jack, like the original Rodimus, is doubtful**

**3- What is welcome- pairings, Megatron becoming Galvatron, new characters, original plot or following the series**

**4- Ratchet being Ratchet**

**5- may start from where my fic starts/ends or go original**

**I wish you luck. now about this chapter- it ends the intro arc. the 'To be continued' will only serve to inticate whether the chapter is a multiparter. So no worries. More chapters are yet to come on for this season 1.**

**Enough blabbering. On with it.**

* * *

**-05-**

**New world**

**-Part 5-**

Soundwave picked another cable and plugged into the sphere. He was working at it for a while now. And installing the accelerated fusion reactor core was not an easy thing despite what it looked like. After all, they couldn't afford to have it blow up now, could they? Everything had to be done perfectly. Even one wrongly plugged cable could destroy the Nemesis. Megatron Absolute, Lord of the Decepticons, was watching. While Soundwave was his communications officer, he did have a thing for tech. a smile formed on his face as he watched.

"How much time do you need, Soundwave, before the reactor core is installed?" he asked calmly.

"Estimated time- 3 cycles." The purple Decepticon answered. While Megatron nodded in approval, Starscream, who was by his side all along, made a comment.

"3 cycles? Can we really afford to be stuck here for the next 1/8 of the planet's day while the Autobots are most likely to attack us?" he questioned, gaining a glare from Megatron. But before he could say anything, Soundwave spoke.

"Explanation: Installing the reactor core not safe. Observation: super energon's refining time consuming. It will not be used to power Nemesis for the next 4 cycles."

"Well then, why bother waiting for the super energon cube?" Starscream growled, barely holding himself back from yelling.

Megatron snarled at his second-in-command, making him back away in fear. "Because, Starscream, you are to do as I command!" he said, demanding obedience. Then he glanced at the monitor on the wall and watched as a red-and-white Decepticon with two tires on his back was making sure that the yellow crystal was properly processed. He sneered at the sight. Soon, he would have his ship operational in racing through the skies of this primitive planet. Soon he would have the means to return to Cybertron and to destroy the Autobots.

* * *

**Jack's workshop**

Jack kept working on what appeared to be a car engine. His hands were all covered in dirt, grease, sweat and scratches. But he seemed used to it, as he was clearly focused on what he was doing. Right now, for some reason, he had goggles on while working with a mini-torch. A few sparks were flying while he was working, a worried expression on his face. He still felt bad with yesterday. He could recall how the Decepticons were talking about their fights, how much pleasure they had from all the destruction. He remembered how they talked about the tortures they planned for the humans if they ever had the chance. He shivered. Then he recalled how he repaired their device. He shouldn't have helped them, but what was he to do? He wasn't a great hero. He wasn't someone who would defy even when threatened by death. Plus, they would attack Jasper. They would hurt all these innocent people. They would hurt his sister. Of course he felt bad about the assistance he provided, but at least he and his sister were safe.

For now.

He had no idea he was being watched though. A blue-and-white Autobot was hiding behind an rundown house, watching the boy. She was hesitant about coming out to talk to him. but she felt uneasy since he decided he wanted nothing to do with them. She recalled how Miko arrived this morning. Before leaving to base, she decided to try and persuade Jack to come back. The angry expression on the girls face said everything- she failed. The Japanese exchange student was furious with his refusal. Arcee didn't say it, but was disappointed with Miko's attitude. The girl with black hair with pink-dyed highlights and stripe commented on Jack's unwillingness to go through 'something' again. Jack must've been keeping the loss of his parents to himself. But Arcee understood him. She has just recently lost her partner.

Now she was watching Jack, trying to build up the courage to talk to him. It was somewhat funny though. She could kick aft of a group of 'Cons. She stood up to Straxus and Genocide, two of Megatron Absolute's elite soldiers. And she found it hard to approach a small human. Then again, she recalled his frightened expression upon seeing her during his rescue. And for some reason it pained her. She didn't really give a thing about the fleshlings. Ever since they awoke she paid no real care for organics- be it animals, plants or humans. But something about this boy seemed to be different. She tried to tell herself it was because she was just grateful for patching her up last week. Then why wasn't she convinced? Her train of thoughts stopped when she glanced towards the workshop… and didn't see Jack there. She wondered if perhaps he was taking the break. It must've been so, since his bike was still there. Plus, if the Decepticons were to take him, they would've made some noise.

"Spacing out again?" a voice asked, startling her. If she were an anime character, her shoulders would have shivered comically. Yet she did jump away a small distance and before turning around, with wide optics, towards the source of the voice. That's when she noticed Jack. He was some distance away from her even if she wasn't to jump away, apparently still somewhat feeling uneasy, if not afraid, near her. She relaxed seeing it was him, but was also both embarrassed and annoyed about this.

"Don't do that." She said sternly. "You almost gave me a hard-drive attack." She looked at him with a complaining look.

Jack looked back at her with an apologetic look. "Sorry." He said quietly. "Anyway… were you going to come out or just stay here till the Judgment Day?"

"Well… since I'm already found, I might as well just come in… If you'll let me." She said, asking if he wouldn't mind her presence. Jack just turned towards the workshop and made his way. Arcee decided that he didn't tell her to leave, she was allowed to stay. She slowly followed the boy, glad that this abandoned garage was in a remote place, far from unwanted eyes. She followed the boy and, as he returned to whatever he was working on, she sat before the opened garage door and observed him. After a few seconds, the raven haired teen heavily sighed.

"I'm not a telepath, Arcee. I can't read in minds." Jack commented. While he may have sounded rude or something, he was just letting Arcee know how uncomfortable he felt with her being all quiet and watching him. She figured he must've felt like the other day, being watched by the Decepticons while he was fixing the reactor core. "Might as well say whatever you were going to say to try convincing me to come back."

"Actually…" she paused, trying to find the proper words, "I heard Miko tried that this morning. And she was pretty upset that she failed." She paused to find Jack stop to look at her. "It was her idea to get you back. Seems like she doesn't think you should leave this… 'exciting' part where you… uh, how did she put it? Ah, yes- 'live a dream'."

"That's her dream to live." Jack answered. "The only dream I'd like to live is having a normal family and live like typical teenager. Besides, what could I do if I stayed?"

Arcee sighed as she made a sad expression. "Jack. Cliffjumper was my partner. And he was the dearest bot to me. So believe me when I say I know what's it like to lose someone close to you." She said, getting Jack's full attention. "Maybe it's the grieve talking… the feeling of debt to you for the help or… or something else growing on me, I don't know. But…" she paused for much longer. She seemed ready continue but words just wouldn't come out. Jack figured that maybe it was something that would be against her pride what she wants to say. She trembled a bit, shaking her head. Then she finally continued. "I really… would like for you to come back to us."

At the sound of that, Jack was surprised. Did Arcee come here to personally talk him back, like Miko? He thought she had no care for humans. After all, she was usually hostile towards him. He shook his head while thinking about something and turned back. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Arcee. But I made up my mind." He said tiredly, closing the door. Arcee had a disappointed look on her face. She really hoped he'll return to the group. She wanted to call him stupid and a coward. She really wanted to, because that's how one would call him. But deep down, she knew it wouldn't be fair. His reasons were just. Besides, he was a civilian, a human and a kid. Having him participate in their war would be wrong. They took the kids in for their protection. But since they couldn't provide it when it mattered they couldn't blame him for leaving. Arcee turned away and started walking away before transforming. She stopped for a moment to take another look at the old garage before leaving with a heavy sigh.

* * *

**Autobot base**

"Ratchet? Found anything?" Ironhide asked impatiently, running his finger down the scar on his face. Since there was no glass-like protection on his optic, Miko and Raf could clearly see his optical sensor turn towards the medic.

"Not yet." The medic informed, but continued in order to clarify. "I managed to narrow down the area of search. But considering the super energon's energy signature is coming from the middle of the ocean, I'm trying to get the EXACT location."

"I'm not gonna say speed things up, doc." Jazz said, entering the room. "But I must remind you that time is no longer on our side either."

Ratchet just grumbled something to himself, working on the console. Behind him, Ironhide was checking his weapons, while Hot Ride and Bumblebee were pacing back and forth, impatiently. Optimus was standing aside, observing his bots, while Jazz and Bulk were chatting with Raf and Miko. The Autobot leader wondered about the upcoming battle. It has been long since they fought, except for yesterday. But they were fighting the drones, the sparkles automatons with rather limited will and intelligence. The soldiers who mostly served as Megatron's troops. Easily mass produced army programmed to destroy any Autobot. Even if the Autobots were to find the Decepticons now, they couldn't just rush in. They would be scrapped. Just as it was during the Battle of Cyberpolis, where the Vehicons crashed the Autobot rebellion.

Just then a request for ground bridge came. As the vortex opened, Arcee drove in and switched to her robot mode. Optimus saw she was looking professional, but deep down she was rather sad disappointed.

"Are you alright, Arcee?" Optimus asked with great warmth and concern. The femme looked up at the red-and-blue giant, who had a concerned and caring look in his optics. She tried to play cool.

"Bah, of course." She answered, as if nothing was wrong. "Just thought I'll give it a shot convincing the kid that we're the best protection he'll ever have. However, he declined. Stated he'll stay with his sis." She reported while walking over to the railing by the section that had been prepared for the humans. She acted the usual way in the optics of others'- not giving a second thought about the natives of this planet.

Her attitude quickly changed when Miko decided to make a comment. "Seriously?! What a stuck-up, boring, self-centered, reckless brat!" For one, the comment was ironic, given how she followed them on the mission. Second- who was she to judge? Did Miko even consider that Jack may have had a reason in the first place? "Doesn't realize that for one- you guys are trying to protect him? And two- he's missing the best thing he'd ever experience in life."

Arcee decided she heard enough and turned around. "First off- how can he be called reckless while you were the one to follow us yesterday?" she asked with a stern voice. "Second- don't you think he had a reason- an actually good reason- why he decided to sever all ties with us? Besides, it's a good thing he's gone. There's less of you to keep an eye on."

"Whoa, chill, girl." The Autobot second-in-command said calmly to the blue femme. "I know you're no fan of humans. But there's no need to be hostile." The femme looked at Jazz for a while and calmed down.

"And what reason could possibly be good enough to throw all this away, if I may ask?" the human female asked.

Arcee just gave her a hard look. "Why don't you ask him yourself? That is if you care to consider it good enough to listen." She said nearly coldly before walking away. If she stayed a bit longer, she would have seen Miko's face. She felt bad. Don't get it wrong, she understood the risks, better than she let anyone know. Of course Jack must've had a good reason to leave the team. But, but in her opinion, leaving the team was far from wise. Not to mention that he came in contact with the giant alien robots. Hello, how can one not want to stick around?

"I got them." Ratchet announced, getting everyone's attention. The big screen above the medic flashed, showing a small, volcanic island. "This is where they are. And judging by the signal… they are still grounded. This is the best opportunity to strike."

"Even if they cannot take off, Megatron Absolute is not without an army." Optimus Prime said, calming everyone. "While the time is not in our favor, we need to do this smart."

"Optimus, with all due respect, But I say we just hit them right in the lug nut, where it hurts." Ironhide commented, hitting the nearest thing within reach. Unfortunately, it was one of Ratchet's tools.

"Ironhide! I needed that!" the medic cried complaining.

"Sorry." The weapon specialist said apologetically.

"Actually… this sounds like a fine idea." Rafael said. "Why not cause greater damage to the reactor? Without it the Nemesis won't go anywhere any time soon."

"Yip yip, yip, yip. This is a serious planning we're talking about." Ratchet tried to talk the human child quiet. But Jazz snapped his fingers.

"That's a brilliant plan, yo." He supported. Gotta just get in, draw them out. Meanwhile one bot will plant a little surprise firework." He said.

"Can you do that, Jazz?" Bumblebee asked.

"Of course I can. I was the best saboteur before becoming Prime's SIC, bakayaro, koroyaro."

"Then we have a plan." Optimus said. He turned to the medical officer. "Ratchet, set the coordinates and open the ground bridge. We are going to strike at Megatron's ship."

Ratchet nodded and approached the ground bridge control panel. After typing in the coordinates, he fired it up. The vortex of swirling green light appeared in the construction, allowing access to their destination. As the team marched into the portal, Ratchet gazed to see if the kids were far from it. He noticed Miko racing to the vortex just in time to stop her. He held her in his servo until he closed the vortex, having to listen to Miko's complains. He sighed heavily.

* * *

**Decepticon Island**

As the vortex closed, Bumblebee relax for a second. He was glad they did not land right in front of the Decepticons. There was a hill before them, tall enough to cover them. He and Hot Ride crawled on it to take a better look at the surroundings. Sure enough, the huge, black/purple warship with multiple spike-like constructions stood in the middle island. It was still full of holes and such, making it an easy entrance. However, it was also surrounded by the enemy troops. The Vehicons were everywhere around the Nemesis. Workers and soldiers alike, the former working on repairs and the latter on guard duty.

And that's when Ironhide likes to strike.

He drove at the Decepticons at full throttle, ramming some of the 'Cons. And as he transformed, he began to shoot at anything that wasn't an Autobot. Sparks, energy bolts and fluids were flying everywhere as the Autobot sergeant was attacking the Decepticons. He stopped for a moment to find dozens of surprised and confused Vehicons lying everywhere around. He looked up to find four jets incoming onto him. he smiled. The enemy has taken the bait. Before him stood Thundercracker, Skywarp and Starscream. Now the red-and-grey giant was thrilled. He took aim as the Seekers, minus their leader, charged at him.

"Lord Megatron! The Autobots are here!" Starscream reported via comm. link. He watched as his comrades engaged Ironhide and the other Autobots coming out of hiding.

"DESTROY THEM!" Megatron ordered. The red-and-white Decepticon smiled at the order and attacked, firing from his blasters. Soon, more Vehicons appeared to engage the Autobots. And as the fight started, no one noticed a sole figure entering the Nemesis.

Jazz hid. He took a good look around to make sure the coast is clear and continued. "Time for some ninja action." He whispered to himself, sneaking down the hall. He leaned against the wall before daring to take a turn, only to find two Vehicons on guard duty. Jazz pulled out what looked like a butterfly knife. Once he unfolded it, he had the blade extended, making it a sword. With a quick move, and some style, he cut down one guard, while shooting down the other. The Autobot cyber-ninja nodded in satisfaction and continued. Then he noticed the computer panel. He approached it and looked for the schematics of the ship. Otherwise he could wonder around the Nemesis for hours. No, he couldn't afford that. But as he continued towards the reactor chamber, the surveillance picked him up. The image of Jazz running through Nemesis appeared on Soundwave's chest-screen, while the visor was reviewing what Jazz was looking for.

* * *

**Outside**

The Autobots were fighting the incoming enemy troops. However, the Vehicons were a no match for the small group. It was the officers who were much more difficult. Skywarp kept disappearing and reappearing in different locations, making it hard for Ironhide to hit him. at some point, finally, the weapon specialist managed to predict where the Seeker would appear and punched hit hard enough to send him flying. Arcee and Hot Ride also had some trouble, since Thundercracker was trying to hit them with his thunderbolts, which mostly hit the Vehicons, breaking them to pieces. Both the cyber-ninja and soldier manage to punch him in the face from both sides, knocking him out. And Bumblebee was after the final Seeker, who was discretely backing away, wanting to run away.

Then the scout, the cyber-ninja, the soldier and weapon specialist were hit by purple/red projectiles. Optimus looked around to find a tank shooting at the Autobots. Optimus grabbed his right smoke stack and pulled it. It transformed into an ion blaster as he charged at the combat vehicle. He opened fire as the tank transformed into his nemesis- Lord of all Decepticons…

"Megatron." Optimus said, 'narrowing' his optics.

"Prime!" Megatron said, aiming his fusion cannon at his adversary. The two charged at each other, opening fire constantly. As they closed their distance, their fists met. A shock wave caught everyone's attention before the two leaders leaped from one another. Megatron cannon on his back repositioned itself onto his side, ready to fire. As the Decepticon warlord fired, the Last of the Primes jumped aside. And the projectile hit the side of the island's volcano, allowing the lava to burst out. Megatron laughed as his cannon was cooling down, before firing again. Optimus evaded again, dashing towards Megatron and striking down any Vehicon trying to stop him. As the third shot came, Optimus reached for the second smoke stack on his shoulder. But this one did not transform into a blaster but an axe and sliced the projectile in two. Optimus continued his charge and finally jumped up, ready to strike Megatron. The warlord pulled back his cannon and retracted his close range weapon, a massive mace, just in time to block the Autobot leader's axe. The two were exchanging blows, with neither gaining the upper hand, until Optimus managed to hit Megatron's servo that held the mace, making him release his weapon. Megatron raised his arms as Optimus pointed his weapon at him.

"Megatron. This ends here. Call off your Decepticons while we can still…" Prime wanted to reason with him. but he was interrupted by lightening hitting from both Megatron's hands, sending him back some distance as well as stunning him for the time. A time long enough for the Decepticon lord to kick him in the chassis and away. As Optimus lied on the ground, Megatron retrieved his mace and approached him.

"Have you already forgotten, Optimus?" the black giant asked. "I was not feared during the Vok Wars just for my strategic brilliance. But also for my extreme combat capabilities." He finally reached Optimus and stomped on his back, pressing him to the ground. Megatron raised his weapon, ready to crush the Prime. He could already taste victory.

"**Megatron.**" Soundwave reported via comm-link, interrupting the Decepticon warlord. "**Autobot onboard Nemesis. Heading towards the reactor chamber. Identification- Autobot Jazz.**"

Megatron's optics 'widened' in realization. The Autobots intended to ensure his flagship would not take off. "Soundwave. Deal with the Autobot saboteur. And tell Knockout that the minute he's done, the ship is to be prepared to take off immediately." He returned his attention back to Optimus, who managed to shoot him in the chest. The blow was far from fatal, but was good enough to get Megatron off of him. the wise leader of the Autobots leaped for his axe and blocked Megatron's attack. "I saw through your little plan, Optimus. Don't think you'll succeed. The minute the Nemesis lifts off, I'm going to destroy your Autobots and take you prisoner, only to have you watch as I enslave this world and return to Cybertron."

"I will never allow you to win, Megatron." Optimus countered, putting more pressure. "Not as long as energon flows through my circuits."

"Seeing as this planet doesn't have the means of producing great supplies of energon like other fuels, gather resources to synthesis some is will have to do. But you won't get the chance to get any." Megatron sneered as he aimed his fusion cannon at the Autobot.

* * *

**The halls of the Nemesis**

Jazz continued his race through the halls. Finally, he was just one turn from the door to the reactor chamber, according to the schematics. He knew his friends were strong. They would fight for as long as necessary. But they couldn't fight forever. So he could not afford to sneak by anyone. Fortunately, there weren't too many guards around. He could run towards his destination.

And as he turned, he finally so it. The entrance to the reactor. A huge, massive door with red lights. If he was to enter and plant the bomb, the Nemesis would be grounded. And the Decepticons would go with them. They would put an end to Megatron. Though that one was merely a bonus. However, this would still not be easy. Two Decepticons stood in his way. One of them was a red-and-white Cybertronian with an aura of a narcissism. Knockout, the 'medical' officer of the 'Cons. And he was carrying the super energon cube. Jazz knew for his part that he no longer had time to play. However, the second Decepticon stood in his path- the communications officer himself, Soundwave.

"Outta my way, Sound. And I'll let you keep your dignity." Jazz threatened. But Soundwave just stood there.

"Well, since you boys are busy, I shall empower the reactor." Knockout said, opening the door.

That was Jazz's only chance. He charged forward, transforming. And speed up to his max speed. Soundwave was still merely standing in place, as some numbers displayed on his visor. Jazz knew the communications officer of the Decepticons must've been up to something. Soundwave was dangerous despite what others believed. He quickly transformed, leaping over him, and landing on the ceiling. Then he jumped towards the reactor chamber, hoping to get in before the door shut. And he managed. Unluckily, Soundwave opened a familiar vortex just behind the door, so Jazz found himself on the beach near Miami, Florida. While he was angry, he was always able to keep his emotions in check. "Oh, man. I got trolled." He complained, before placing his fingers on his helmet. "Ratchet. I need a ground bridge. Lock onto my coordinates."

* * *

**Autobot base**

Ratchet inputted the lieutenant's current coordinates after he managed to locate him. he was rather surprised to find him somewhere around Miami. Luckily, no human was there to see him. still, he had a bad feeling about this. As he opened the bridge, Jazz walked through. "What happened?" Miko asked. "Decided to catch some sun to celebrate sabotaging a Decepti-freaks' ship?" she asked enthusiastically. Jazz just shook his head before answering.

"Nah-ah. Soundwave outsmarted me. The minute I got in, he bridged me outta there. Not cool."

"This is bad." Ratchet commented. "If we don't sabotage the reactor soon, the 'Cons will get advantage we'll never be able to beat."

"Well, that was the bad news. Here's the worse news. They're empowering the reactor with a super energon cube as we speak." Jazz reported. At the sound of that, Ratchet's optics widened in horror.

"By the matrix. We're doomed. There's no way you can you sneak back again."

"But you can't just give up." Raf said. Ratchet just looked at him sternly.

"And what do you suggest we do then?" Ratchet asked. Before Raf could answer, his phone rang. It surprised him greatly. The only time that happened was when Jack send his S.O.S. signal. But then he plugged his phone to the alien power source. Then who…?

* * *

**Decepticon island**

Optimus was send flying again, landing on top Bulkhead. Arcee raced towards Megatron, only to receive a blast to the side. And that blast left a blazing mark on her. The Decepticon leader looked around to find his troops surrounding the Autobots, but still being taken down.

"Lord Megatron. The reactor is online. We are ready to lift off." Knockout reported. Megatron grinned.

"Excellent. Decepticons, BOARD THE NEMESIS!" he ordered, leaping into one of the multiple breaches in the hull. The Autobots managed to take down the remaining Vehicons only to see the 'Con flagship floating above the ground, out of their reach. The Seekers took off to board the ship, as Ironhide opened fire, in vain hope to take down the ship. But who was he kidding? He knew he didn't had the fire power necessary to take it down. He was just furious.

"It… It's over." Hot Ride said. "We've lost. Now either Megatron blasts us or returns to Cybertron to return with the invading army."

"There must be a way to stop them." Bumblebee tried to be optimistic.

* * *

"Finally!" Megatron laughed at his victory. "We have the ultimate advantage. Victory is MINE!" he cheered.

"No, Megatron. Mine." A voice spoke. Megatron turned around to find Starscream aiming at him with his missiles. The Seeker was grinning sinisterly, as the moment of his rule has come. Megatron was tired with his fight, while he was watching from the sidelines. This was a perfect moment to strike.

Genocide intended to attack, but Megatron gestured him to stay down. Then he chuckled. "So you finally build up the courage to strike openly, huh, Starscream?"

"You say I'm unworthy of leading the Decepticons in your stead. And yet, here I am, about to blast you, having found the perfect opportunity, when you're most vulnerable, my dearest Megatron Absolute."

"I'll admit you are cunning. But the fact stays you're a coward should you ever be challenged in the open."

"A true leader knows how and when to deal with matters. Just like I am about to deal with a barbarian like you." Starscream mocked, ready to fire. But Megatron just kept his smirk.

* * *

"There must be something we can do." Arcee said desperately. "There must…"

"Sure is." A familiar voice caught everyone's attention. The Autobots turned to find Jazz as the ground bridge closed behind him.

"Jazz. What happened? We feared the Decepticons extinguished your spark." Bumblebee asked.

"Let's just say I took the wrong turn." The stylish Autobot joked. "But seriously, we may still have a chance to take them down."

"Come again?" Bulkhead asked. "How?"

"Jazz, explain." Optimus requested.

"Jack called." He started, getting Arcee to get surprised. "He said that the reactor core, while operational, is unstable and extremely vulnerable. If we can cause a power surge, one strong enough to reach the core, then it'll fry, permanently rendered useless." He explained.

Arcee shook her head while smiling. Even though the boy wanted nothing to do with them, he still helped them.

"That boy is amazes me again." Optimus said. Then let us make our final move against the Decepticons and bring them down."

"But, Optimus… I hate to frag it, but we don't have anything to cause the said surge." Hot Ride said.

"Well…" Jazz caught their attention, pulling out a shard of the super energon from his utility pocket. "I think we might have something. But, as an expert, I advise to hit as near the core as possible."

Ironhide stepped closer to the Autobot SIC and took the shard, examining it. "Just tell me all I need to know." He said with a terrifying smile.

* * *

"Well then, this is good bye, Megatron Absolute." Starscream commented after a long time of uneasy silence. He triggered the missiles' launch, which headed now towards the Decepticon lord. Finally, the Seeker's ambitions have been fulfilled as an explosion took place before him. he was now Lord Starscream Absolute, Lord of the Decepticons. All of Cybertron would bow before him.

Or so he thought. As the smoke cleared, Megatron still stood there, with his servos shielding him. Starscream was shocked and confused. How could Megatron have survived? The response came when Megatron's left servo blazed for a second in violet light. So Megatron must've raised his shield. The Seeker back off a bit, before his lord and master aimed at him with his fusion cannon. "My liege! I beg of you! Show mercy!" Starscream cried. However, the only response he received was a blast which damaged his shoulder and send him into the control panel.

"This is the mercy you'll receive, Starscream." He answered, growling. "I will deal with you later. Right now it is the Autobots that shall suffer as I unleash the power of my flagship." He said proudly, walking over to the great monitor, through which he would watch the outside of the ship.

And what he saw confused him. What were the Autobots thinking?

* * *

Ironhide was aiming near the cruiser's engine. If he were organic, he would be sweating like mad. "are you sure you can hit it?" Bumblebee asked with no confidence.

"Trust me, kid." The Autobot sergeant replied. "I know what I'm doing." His left cannon transformed into a long rifle, as he continued to aim. Ironhide had loaded Jazz's explosive with the super energon shard and was and was to use it as a bullet. But he had only one shot. And not an easy one at that. Finally the Decepticon warship aimed its turrets at them. Time was running out. He could hear them charging. They could fire anytime now. And if they did, the war would be over.

He finally fired. The improvised bullet hit the target and exploded with brilliant golden light of energy channeling throughout the whole ship. Inside, that energy reached the core and was clearly doing something. Something bad. The reactor core turned into a fireball and simply melted. Although, some explosions did take place, as the ship began to fall. However, the Autobot had no time to celebrate. Even with the ship going down, the Decepticons opened fire. They were about to enter the vortex, when the volcano erupted, causing the vortex to disappear. Confused, the began to run, while trying to contact the base. But no one would respond.

* * *

**Autobot base**

Ratchet didn't know what happened. The bridge has been opened and everyone should've successfully leave the island. And yet the vortex closed. He looked at the panel to find there were some interference. "What in the Allspark is going on?"

"Could the volcano eruption cause this?" Raf asked. Ratchet seemed to wonder about it.

"It… is possible. The disturbance in the magnetic field cause by the volcano may have destabilized the Vortex energy flow. And structure. It'll take time to fix that."

"Maybe I can help." The twelve year suggested, opening his laptop. The CMO was about to argue, but this was no time defend his pride. He nodded and with Raf began to work.

* * *

**Decepticon island**

Lava outbursts. Flaming rocks. Decepticon fire. This just couldn't get any worse. They were about to leave this island, but now they were stuck in a hell-like scenery. Optimus looked at the Nemesis, which was about to disappear in the fog. If Optimus's memory serves, it would end up crashing into the ocean. At least the Decepticon threat would be over. He was glad. Then a blast came, that hit him in the leg. The red-and-blue titan fell, crying in pain. Ironhide and Bulkhead supported their leader and continued, until they reach a cliff. There was no escape anymore. The Nemesis, to make it worse, came out of the fog, heading straight for them. Autobots' optics widened in shock and fear. Megatron was going to destroy them like this?

Well, he would. But luckily, the ground bridge opened just in time for the Autobots to jump in. as it disappeared, the Nemesis crashed into the island, again. This time, the lava was covering the cruiser.

* * *

**Autobot base**

The Autobots exited the vortex. They were all covered in ash, dirt, scratches, water and leaking energon. Ratchet sighed heavily, seeing as he had a lot of work to do. But Optimus was in the worst shape, having his legs nearly incinerated. He ordered to move him to the CR chamber, as he would start on the others.

"Well, at least we got the 'Cons kicking the bucket." Jazz commented cheerfully.

"Only thanks to Jack." Arcee commented. "Can't believe he was still willing to help after all that happened to him."

"Speaking of which, how did he contacted you, guys. This place was supposed to be cut off from the world." Hot Ride asked curious about it. It was true, though. This place was supposed to be isolated.

"My only guess is that he made some kind of transmitter or something." Raf said, while Miko merely shrugged.

"He was working on something when I came by." Arcee reported.

"Whatever it was, we should be glad he helped us. Megatron's plans have been stopped." Optimus commented from the chamber. As everyone smiled, a thought crossed Miko's mind.

"So, are now to leave and forget about you? All of you?" she asked the second part, turning up to Bulkhead, who was giving her a sad expression. Jazz approached the CR chamber and checked inside, to meet Optimus's wondering gaze.

* * *

_We are stranded on this alien world. Hiding amongst its natives as robots in disguise. But some of them proved to be reliable allies, stronger in spirit them most of our warriors. And though we mourn the loss of those ventured with us to this planet, we cherish the new bonds we made. Even with those who may yet need time to choose._

_I am Optimus Prime. And I send this message to our brothers fighting for the freedom of our home, somewhere amongst the stars. We are with you._

_We remember._

* * *

The eruption finally seized. There was no longer any sign of any ship crash. Smoke and steam formed a thick fog, hiding the island completely from the world. If it was to be seen, however, one would notice cracks forming in the freshly formed rock. And it kept cracking, allowing some still liquid lava to spill. And finally it broke to pieces, as a dark giant stepped out. The giant was furious that his ship was now incapable of travel. And it was all because of his sworn enemies, who somehow managed to damage his cruiser.

Megatron Absolute will make them pay.

He swore this upon his throne in Kaon.

End

* * *

**A.N.: **hope you liked it. I know I could do things better and all, but what ya gonna do. Sometimes a guy just can't keep up. Well, until next time, flesh bags.


	7. 06 Choice

**-06-**

**Choice  
**

"Is he here yet?" Starscream asked both Decepticons with him, namely Thundercracker and Skywarp. The Decepticon commander was getting annoyed as he was waiting for the one 'Con he had a meeting with. He looked around again, still seeing no sign of him.

"Mibbie he teuk a wrong caw at Albuquerque. (Maybe he took a wrong turn at Albuquerque)" The blue Seeker commented. For that part, he got slammed by the red-and-white cybertronian. "Forgoat ah asked. (Forget I asked)" Thundercracker apologized.

Just then the three Seekers heard a loud engine roar. Starscream turned around and finally, after all this time waiting here, in the middle of some ghost town, he noticed a silhouette of some vehicle hiding in a half-torn bar. He smiled wickedly.

"You're finally here." He said before he frowned, letting the newcomer know of his annoyance. "Took you long enough."

The vehicle transformed, and a shadowed Decepticon slammed his fists against each other, as he stepped closer. Though he was still hidden in the shadows, he was clearly taller than the seekers. And his red, blazing optics made even them feel uneasy. No wonder, considering that he was one of the most unstable and aggressive warriors… and a hunter. "Anyway… here's your mission, hunter. The Autobots have damaged our vessel to the point we are without the means to leave this rotten, primitive, energon poor rock. You are to take care of them." Commander ordered. Then he reached out his servo and a hologram appeared, showing a familiar human. "Despite what our 'Lord and Master' says, I believe this human provided the 'Bots with the technical knowledge which allowed them to sabotage the Nemesis. Find him and use him to lure them out. Ravage will assist you. Am I CLEAR?" he growled.

The summoned Decepticon just narrowed his optics. Then he gave a smile which made all three Seekers shiver, fearing he'll attack them. "Barricade is on the hunt." He said, transforming into a dark scarlet-and-silver HMMWV. And he drove off, soon accompanied by a black motorcycle. As the two drove off, the leader of the Seekers smirked.

"Are you sure that Lord Megatron Absolute will not have you ordered dismantled for taking such actions behind his back?" Skywarp asked calmly, as he usually did. Starscream snarled at that.

"Of course not! Barricade is known for his brutality and effectiveness. Once he gets the Autobots gathered, I shall execute them myself. And thus, Megatron will have to congratulate me. That's when I'll take him down…" he whispered the last part to himself. "Anyway, Barricade will do his job." He added, before transforming and blasting off. As the two others followed, Barricade allowed Ravage to take the lead. The Decepticon tracker would lead him to his prey.

The hunt began.

* * *

**Autobot base**

It has been four days since the Nemesis crash. It has been four days since the Autobots got to fight them. While some of them, namely the young ones, Bulk and Ironhide, believed the 'Cons have melt, there was doubt in Optimus's spark about that. He did not believe the volcano could have destroyed their sworn enemies. And there was also sadness. Sadness as he considered the possibility of Megatron's possible demise. However, the wise knew that the warlord's death was a possible outcome. Now the leader of the 'Bots watched the ground bridge, as the Autobot femme drove out of the vortex. The minute she stopped, she switched to her bipedal form, with her neutral expression. However, Prime wasn't fooled. He could tell she was feeling uneasy if not sad.

"Arcee? Are you feeling unwell?" he asked with his concerned voice. Arcee turned to face her leader and merely shrugged.

"Yeah. Just decided to see if the kid is unharmed." She answered plainly.

"You actually go see him a lot, don't you?" Hot Ride asked.

"Cut it out. He left the team on his own. Why bother to have him back? It's not my concern." She commented. As she walked into the corridor, Jazz began to wonder. He knew Arcee best and knew she wasn't honest. He jumped of the catwalk and walked towards the ground bridge.

"Doc. Fire the bridge." He said, getting the CMO a bit confused.

"Jazz? Is something wrong?" Ratchet asked, Getting Optimus's attention.

"Just need to deal with somethin'. Launch the bridge." He asked again, transforming into a pimped Lamborghini Veneno. Optimus watched with some interest as his SIC drove off, disappearing in the vortex. He gave Ratchet an intrigued look, as the ladder looked back in confusion. They shrugged it off, preparing to open the ground bridge for Bulkhead, Bumblebee and their human charges.

* * *

**Jasper, Nevada, Jack's workshop**

Jack opened the garage door widely and sight. He was a bit annoyed. He could tell Arcee was observing him these past four days, but tried to ignore her. Today, however, he was especially annoyed. Luckily today was his day off from work in K/O Burger. Boy, he was in such a bad mood. And should he learn a certain bike is stalking him again, he would dismantle it.

He recalled how Miko and Raf were telling him about the Autobots. Their missions, how they would beat up the 'Cons, even what were they doing along with the humans. He found some of it interesting, but he wouldn't say he was jealous. And every time school would end, they would try convincing him to tag along with them. He shook his head. He helped them, sure. He told them the reactor core was so vulnerable. But he was just cleaning up his mess. He wasn't about to come back to them. He sighed as he started working on a TV. He looked over the parts, when he heard an engine. He fought at first it was Arcee again. But as it got closer, he knew it wasn't her. It was a car engine. He looked outside to find a white car, which stopped before the garage.

"So this is where you hang out spot, huh?" Jazz asked, as he turned off his engine. "Suh-weet."

Jack was simply giving the Autobot lieutenant a hard and annoyed look, before he turned back to the TV he was working on. "Look, um… Jazz, was it? If Arcee asked you to talk to me because she was too embarrassed to, my answer is still no." he said, expecting the Autobot's visit to be about the matter.

To his surprise, the Lamborghini chuckled. "Relax, 'Cee didn't ask me a favor. I came on my own." He said.

"L-look, Jazz. I'm sorry, but this whole thing of yours… It's just too much for me." Jack said. Jazz noticed the boy seemed to sound tired. Yet, there was something. Fear, of course. And the cyber-ninja could understand it. But there was also something else. Something that looked like… a chance.

Jazz opened his door, getting the teen's attention. "Jacky, get in. I wanna show you somethin'." He said with more serious tone.

"I said I don't'…"

"We're not going to the base." Jazz interrupted him. "Not unless you'll want to. And don't worry. I'm Optimus's second-in-command for a good reason."

Jack was a bit hesitant. He thought for a long while about the offer. Should he go? What was it that Jazz wanted to show him? Would he leave should he ignore him? then he felt irritation when he recalled the fact Arcee kept watching him. Maybe if he'll go with Jazz and see whatever he wanted to show him, the alien robots would finally leave him alone. Then he wouldn't have to worry about his sister getting involved or being targeted.

He took a deep breath, glancing at Jazz. That bot must've been super patient just standing there for so long. He finally put down his tools. "Hope this isn't some kind of prank of yours." He murmured.

"Sorry. Autobot recruitment program doesn't include pranking, joking, one-liners or any other form of comedy. Sucks, huh?" Jazz joked, actually getting Jack to chuckle. "Looks like we'll get along." He said warmly, driving off… and tuning one of the classic rock'n'roll tracks.

* * *

After a few minutes of driving, the stylish Autobot was finally about to pass an old factory building. Wherever Jazz was taking him, Jack didn't know what to think. Had had to admit it, Jazz was okay. The bot actually could make him laugh. Then there was something he didn't want to talk about. And that would be…

"If we can get along that well, you should be able to get Arcee to open up more." Jazz said. Yup, this was something Jack didn't want to talk about.

"You kidding me?" Jack questioned, though not with such a hostile tone as one would expect. "She doesn't even like me. I can relate- she lost someone close to her. But when I tried to comfort her, she nearly went ballistic."

"Don't take it personally. She really is a sweet gal on the inside. She's just, well… y'know, what's that term aga… sensitive. And she tends to feel insecure."

"You forgot she's also prideful and a stalker." Jack added.

"She just doesn't want anyone to see her as weak. And she has a hard time admitting she's feelin' down because of what happened to you when the 'Cons snatched ya." Jack didn't reply. He just looked at the wheel with a curious expression.

"You seem to know her very well." The young human finally spoke. "You brother and sister or something?"

"More like master and student, bor. I was the one to train her to be a cyber-ninja. And while she's good, she's still green." Jazz answered after a short chuckle. Then he took a sharp turn. Jack was confused and a little startled, wondering what happened. That's when he saw it, a familiar, black racer bike.

"Is that…?" Jack never managed to ask.

"Ravage. Decepticons' tracker." Jazz answered, accelerating. "And the one rule you need to know is: Where's Ravage, there's always a hunter."

"W-what hunter?" young Darby asked, just as a scarlet-and-silver HMMWV came into view. It nearly hit Jazz, who swiftly managed to avoid collision and drove into the factory. Once inside, Jazz found a hiding spot and opened the door.

"I know this is how they got you, Jacky." Jazz started to explain. "But I need to you out for safety." Jack was hesitant, but complied. Once he was out, the Autobot switched to his robot form, towering above the earthling. He gently took Jack into his hand and jumped onto the massive tank, trying to be stealthy. Once on the high ground, he observed the Decepticons drive in and transforming. The military car transformed into a tall, well build robot, with four spike-like formations coming just from behind his shoulder. Unlike the rest of his body, his face was gold and had aggressive features. "Thought it's him." Jazz whispered loudly enough only for Jack to hear.

"Who is that?" the boy asked.

"Barricade." The Autobot answered whispering. "A dangerous kind of 'Con. Lives more for the hunt and fight than actual killing." He placed Jack on top of the tank and got ready to move. "If anythin' comes up, run and call." Jazz looked around again and leaped down, silently. Barricade seemed to flinch then. And turned around, ready to blast anyone behind him. But there was no one there. The hunter was, however, cautious. He'd be a fool to let his guard down and become the prey. However, he could find nothing. He walked slowly around the huge tanks, seeking for the prey. Whenever there was an opening, Jack would manage to use the catwalk to sneak away. Barricade once nearly found him, but luckily, he didn't give the human enough credit for hiding. But Jack, on the other hand, wasn't so aware of his surroundings. He heard a growl. He could feel his heart in his throat the minute he heard in. he hoped for it to be a bad dream. A really, really bad dream. But the minute he turned around, he saw a pair of black optics and a large, black, saber-tooth tiger-like robot. The feline approached the human a bit closer, revealing its blades coming out from its elbows and its claws. Jack started to back off, hoping Jazz was around.

Who was he kidding? Jazz was probably far away. Just like Arcee, the white-and-black Autobot forgot all about him the minute he laid his optics… er, visor on the Decepticon. Jack looked to his left, to find he was no longer hidden from the sight of Barricade, who gave him a sadistic smile. The hunter was about to grab him… when Jazz caught him from behind and threw him onto a stack of crates. Then Jazz turned towards Jack, transforming his hand into a grabbling hook and shot it at Ravage. The feline was sent flying into an empty tanker. The Autobot took the human into his hand and raced off deeper into the factory.

"You okay, Jack?" Jazz asked him, careful not to drop him.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Jack informed, overcoming his fear.

"Good to hear. And sorry I was so late. Got lost on the path of life." He joked at the end. Finally, Jazz reached some booth and set Jack down. Then he looked back, as if picking up the Decepticons incoming.

"I'll deal with them. Hide." The stylish and care-free cybertronian instructed. Jack entered the booth, as Jazz pulled out his knife, extending its blade to a sword length. He smiled as Barricade leaped onto him, drawing his weapon- a double sword. The two crossed their weapons and started their dual. Jazz was far more swift, yet Barricade was greatly durable. Finally, the Autobot caught him by the wrist-joint and tossed him across the building. He followed.

Jack looked through the window to see Jazz following the Decepticon hunter. He had to admit it, despite seeing Arcee fight for a short while, he could tell that Jazz was far better. His train of thoughts paused when he heard an engine roar. Now he remembered that Ravage was with that 'Con. He looked around the room, to find the backdoor. As he noticed Ravage approach, he exited the booth and ran towards the tall assembly machines. He turned around to see the 'Con tracker jump onto the booth and staring at him. Jack gulped, sweating bullets.

* * *

Jazz kicked his opponent back into a strange construction. The Decepticon shook his head and snarled. He took his stance again and started to circle the Autobot, looking for the right time to strike. Jazz just stood there, relaxed, yet ready to fight.

"Y'know it's gonna end bad for ya, right?" the care-free Autobot asked. Barricade merely chuckled.

"Barricade doubts that. After all, Ravage is about to get the human friend of yours." He commented.

"I'm more concerned about Ravage then." Jazz commented. "The poor pussy cat can't even get close to him."

"It's enough he won't lose sight of him!" the hunter sneered, prepared to strike back. "And once Barricade's done with you, Barricade's going to enjoy the human's screams and cries!"

Jazz let out an rage filled roar. "Over my cold, offline CHESSIS!" he pushed his blade, trying to stab the 'Con. However, he missed. Worse, he gave the enemy an opening. Barricade caught him by the servo and started to beat Jazz mercilessly. Then he punched the Autobot into a wall, which collapsed on him. Barricade scanned his prey, finding he was in stasis.

"Barricade will let you go for now. Stay under that debris like a good Autobot until Barricade gets back." Barricade commented and left. He was right now more focused on catching the human. And he would deliver him to his Lord, Megatron.

As he left, Jazz lifted his head and observed the hunter walk away. He quietly got out of the debris and walked away.

* * *

Ravage was chasing him between the production lines. Luckily for Jack, it was narrow in here. Ravage had problems following him. finally, the boy managed to find something useful, as the feline 'Con was struggling to get through the exit. The boy was very tired and wanted to blame Jazz for getting him into this mess. Unfortunately, he wasn't around. Still, he focused of what he saw. He approached the control panel and saw it was operational. That's when he heard a loud slam. Ravage finally got into view, growling and snarling. Jack could have sworn he saw it drooling or whatever. The tracker transformed and raced towards the boy. Jack waited for a while. He was getting nervous. He wanted to run, but he would run out of stamina eventually. Ravage didn't seem to be minded by fatigue. So he needed to do something if he couldn't count on the Autobot.

Finally, he pulled the lever. And some a mechanical arm caught the bike. Ravage was about to transform, but another arm reached him and started to weld it in some areas. Jack ensured the arms would keep Ravage from moving while he smirked. He would ensure it wouldn't follow him anytime soon.

* * *

After some time, Jack finally returned to the booth. However, he was so tired that instead of hiding, he just sat down, leaning against its wall. He took a few deep breaths. He was so exhausted. He just wanted this little adventure of his to end. Then he heard footsteps. He looked from behind the booth, hoping it was Jazz. Unluckily for him, it was a Decepticon. Jack hid back and crawled towards the barrels nearby, hoping the hunter would leave eventually. Just as he was passing by, Jack's phone beeped. Because of the text message, Barricade got a fix on him. the teen tried to run, but he was quickly caught by the cybertronian.

"Barricade caught you, human." He congratulated himself. "Now, Barricade shall take you to Lord Megatron and get rewarded." He increased the pressure of his servo a bit, causing the teens to grunt. But Jack refused to cry in pain. "Yes, scream. Let Barricade hear the song of your screams and agony, boy. Let Barricade be enchanted with the music of your suffering."

"Hey, toaster-face!" a call caught the attention of the two. Barricade noticed Jazz on top of some tanker, with the grabbling hook attached to the valve. On the tanker Jack could read 'Danger! Liquid nitrogen'. Then Jazz made a one-handed gesture followed by the famous words: "Surfs up, dude."

It was going so slow in Jack's mind. First, Jazz pulled his cable, opening the valve. The cold liquid was pouring all over the place. He knew that if he came in contact with this, he would freeze in an instead. The Autobot lieutenant ripped off a part of the catwalk behind him and jumped down into the pouring substance, placing the metallic construction under his feet. Then Jazz started surfing, to Jack's awe. As Barricade was about to run, Jazz managed to reach him and take Jack away from him while knocking him down. Using his grabbling hook again, the Autobot pulled himself upwards, onto the other tank, where he and Jack were safe. And the two watched the liquid nitrogen freezing Barricade, turning him into an 'ice statue'.

"It won't hold him forever, but it'll be a few days at least before he breaks free." Jazz enlightened the boy. Seeing the boy's eyes, he got a bit more serious. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that again."

"Were you trying to prove me something? You got me into one of your actions to prove me you were going to take that whole 'guardian stuff more seriously?" Jack asked with an angry tone.

"No… this was somethin' I wasn't honestly expectin'." Jazz excused himself, his servo raised in a protective manner. "I wanted to show you somethin' else. That is… if you're still willin' to come."

Jack wondered for a while. Should he go with him? well, he definitely did do a better job than Arcee. This guy was really good, unlike Arcee. Sure, he shouldn't have left him, like she did. But, Jazz did not allow the fight to make him forget about him. Plus, Jazz was much friendlier. He could do at least that much. "Just make it quick. I need a rest."

"You got it." Jazz answered, taking Jack into his servo and leaping out through the window. As they landed, Jazz was already transforming, so they immediately drove off. Then a question hit his mind. "Say, haven't you seen Ravage somewhere, by the way?"

"I don't think he'll be bothering us for a while." Jack smirk.

* * *

**Later, outside Jasper**

Jack saw they were on a plateau. He wasn't sure as to what Jazz wanted to show him, but had to admit it, the view was beautiful. The sun was about to touch the horizon and meld with it. The land scape seemed to turn red. As the teen left the car, he was met with a soft breeze in the face. And it felt nice. Jazz, now in his robot mode, knelt beside Jack and caught the human's attention.

"So… why did you ask me to come along with you here?" Jack asked uneasily.

"Take a look." The Autobot said, pointing at a small debris at the edge. As Jack took a closer look at it, he found it to look somewhat unnatural. "That's Cliffjumper's memorial stone." Jazz said, getting Jack shocked and saddened. "We… never had a chance to recover his body. Never found it."

"I'm sorry." Jack said quietly.

"It's not your fault, Jacky. But thanks for the good will." Jazz replied. "Arcee comes here every night, mourning the cowboy's death. He wasn't her first partner. But sadly, like them, he was killed by the Decepticons." That got Jack's interest. "Arcee is unlikely to admit it, but even if she doesn't see you as a partner, she's just not ready to say goodbye yet."

Jack looked at him for a while. Jack couldn't get his words to be silent. And to his surprise, there was also wisdom that seemed to force him to think about it. But then the sad memories and thoughts of his invaded his mind. It pained him, though he tried hard not to show it.

"Jazz. Do you believe… that two broken souls… that lost something dear, can ease each other's pain?" Jack asked, trying to fight off the tears. Jazz guessed that Jack must've recalled some painful memories. He wondered about the question.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Jack. I don't think even the wisest has an actual answer." He replied. Jack's head fell down, as Jazz laid his servo on the teen's back, trying to comfort him.

* * *

**Autobot base**

Ratchet was in the middle of calibration, when sparks started flying. He stepped back, shielding his eyes for a while, as Optimus and Ironhide observed him. Raf and Miko decided to pause their game, much to Bumblebee and Hot Ride's disappointment, and check on Ratchet's grumbling. Arcee was just leaning against the wall, refusing to enter the command room, as always. She did that ever since Cliffjumper's death. She just wanted to be left alone. And refused to enter the command room unless there was a mission or needed to talk to someone- Jazz in particular. He was the only one she would open up to, even if not always. But today he was just nowhere around.

"What's wrong, Ratchet?" Raf asked the medic. "Didn't we fix this computer's programming just yesterday?"

"Yes, we did. But your technology is made of such poor resources it's barely holding." Ratchet complained. Then he heard Ironhide confirm something. He figured the Prime must be talking through the comm-link. He turned around as he saw Jazz drive out of the vortex. "Jazz. Are you alright? You're whole beaten up."

This got Arcee's attention. The one bot she wanted to talk to was finally here. However, she was not in the rush to talk to him. she could wait till he was attended to by Ratchet.

"I'm fine, Doctor Grumpystein." Jazz answered. "Nothin' a li'l oil bath won't fix. What about you guys? Havin' some trouble with equipment, again?" He motioned at the panel.

Ratchet turned around to see it starting to smoke. He quickly ran towards it and opened it up, analyzing the wiring. "This blasted earth-tech is making my processor downgrade." He complained. "Let's see… the fusses are in places and aren't fried. Power is going through the green cable to the… the cooling system's… Then where could the cause be?"

"Have you considered a simple overload due to having too much power directed to the hard-drive?" a voice got Ratchet's attention. The white-and-red/orange Autobot looked down to find a raven haired teen looking through the cabling. The other kids were at shock, even when running down the stairs from their section. As they were on the ground floor, they ran towards him with smiles.

"Jack!" the two cheered, giving him a big hug. The name caught a certain blue femme's attention by surprise. She looked into the command room, to find her charge returning Miko and Raf's hug. She smiled and finally entered the room. Jack looked up to find her approaching. Arcee put her servo on her hip, looking at him curiously.

"I see you decided to comeback, kid." She commented with a raised brow-plate.

"Well, someone wise gave me a good insight." Jack said, looking at Jazz, in his bipedal form, who just smiled back. "Besides, you were too embarrassed to let me get near you." He joked/ mocked her.

"Excuse me? You were just too focused on playing mister mechanical genius. I wasn't going to be rude and interrupt you?" Arcee said with an annoyed tone.

"Yeah, right. Then why were you so ineffectively hiding and watching me for few hours, miss ninja-wanna-be."

"You callin' me…? That's it, kid. Don't make me go ninja on you."

"Watch it or I'll dismantle you while you're trying to even touch me."

The two continued their argument. Ratchet believed for a minute they were going to hurt each other. Luckily, judging from Prime and Jazz's expressions, these two weren't going to hurt one another. They were just trying to find their language.

"You did a great thing today, Jazz." Optimus praised his second-in-command. "With the return of Jackson, Arcee appears to be more relaxed. How did you manage to convince him to return?"

"I didn't." Jazz answered, getting Optimus's confused expression. "He chose." As Optimus was about to ask him something again, Jazz remembered something. "Hey, Jacky. You still didn't answer me. What did you do to Ravage?"

"Well…" Jack started with a smirk.

* * *

**Few days later, Decepticon Island**

"Ravage hasn't reported back in DAYS!" Megatron said out loud, pacing around his throne. he looked at the monitor, seeing as Barricade was being attended to by Knockout. He was found a while ago, and to find him frozen was something unexpected. He would be mad at the situation, but he was furious. Thanks to Soundwave's surveillance, the warlord knew that Starscream had Barricade go on the hunt. He would not bother greatly about it, but the fact the hunter failed, got him in the 'bad mood'. However, there was still Ravage to be found. And he was nowhere to be found. "Where could it be?"

"Megatron! I believe to have managed to found Ravage's present location." Skywarp said, getting his attention. The holographic monitor switched view to that on the Seeker's screen, showing the photo of a familiar, though damaged, motorcycle in some kind of a garage. Megatron read the name of the 'website' as the humans called it.

"eBay?"

"What? Am I to understand that that incompetent feline and his partner failed to catch one puny human and while one of them ended on ice, the other is being sold like some kind of scrap?" Starscream, who was standing over the blue Seeker, asked with his loud, grating tone of voice. "Megatron? You really don't know how to care for your own soldiers."

That earned the commander a crushing grip to the head, followed by lightening from the same servo. Megatron was electrocuting him for a long while, before he finally let the Seeker go, snarling in fury.

"Trust me, Starscream. The Autobots will pay for this transgression." Megatron said, leaning down towards him, ready to deliver more pain. "They… WILL!"

End

* * *

**A.N.:** Oh, yeah. Jack's back. What? You honestly thought he would be gone?

**My cast:**

Barricade- Ron Pearlman


	8. 07 Desert

**Before we start, I'm sorry for a late update. I got distracted big time. Plus, for some reason I had a hard time with this chapter. So, I'm sorry, but this one will be a short one. I'll try and make up for that. Now on with the story, you rusted scraplets!**

* * *

**-07-**

**Desert**

"And that's how we get energon." Bumblebee told Raf when the cube began to glow brightly with the colors from blue to violet to red and back to blue. Raf was intrigued to say the least. The Autobots were a bit low on energon. And since this planet wasn't so rich in energon crystals, they had to synthesize some. It was a complicated chemistry class and even for a genius such as him it would be likely impossible to recreate the process. It was just so complex. Still, as he looked at the glowing cube, the preteen couldn't help but be at awe. This little cube could hold enough energy to power a small city district for days.

Bumblebee carefully removed the cable from the cube, putting it aside. The he lifted the energon and moved with it to the storage. It was a days' worth of work, but eventually they got enough supplies for days.

"Hey, 'Bee? How come you make so little of the energon cubes, if this is the reason you came here in the first place?" the young human asked.

"Because it's time consuming." Bumblebee answered simply, as he locked the vault. "When we left Cybertron, there were a dozen more with us, including drones to help. However, when we woke up, we lost it all. The Ark was taken by the government of yours. The drones are damaged beyond repair. And there were merely nine of us who survived. And with the recent death of Cliffjumper, there are only eight of us."

"I'm sorry." Raf said.

"No need, Raf. But thanks." The scout smiled. The smallest of the human friends smiled back and made his way back to the others, while Bumblebee looked back at the vault. He sighed heavily. It's been such a dull job to synthesize energon. But hey, at least they had something. After all, it's not anyone's fault this planet doesn't have the environment for the energon to exist in high quality OR quantity. But it was still rich in resources they could use to make the synth-en, as they called it for short. And that was good. But with their number limited, making it was time consuming.

Ironhide was making some modifications to his weapons with the help of Hot Ride. The two were so focused they hardly noticed the scout enter the room. "What are you doing, sergeant?" the yellow Autobot asked.

"Can't you tell, 'Bee? Making some calibrations" the red Autobot answered. "Gotta make sure you have the best stuff after all."

"Only that this Earth tech is highly primitive." Ratchet, who was working at the terminal, said.

"Quit complaining, Doc. And be happy you have anything to work with." Ironhide commented as he slammed his fist against the tool desk. Unfortunately, he crushed some of the tools in the process.

"Ironhide! I needed that!" the medic yelled.

"Oops. Sorry. Good thing it's not like the Decepticons will hit us because of that." And just as Hot Ride said that, a loud noise ran across the base, alerting the four. The group turned to the hallway, from where the smoke was coming, and armed themselves.

"Decepticons! We're under attack!" Ratchet called as they rushed. How did they found them? When did they manage to do that? As the exited the command room, they had their answer.

The smoke was coming from the vacant room nearest the command room. The door was replaced with a huge cloth. And the kids came out, all dirty, sweaty and coughing. This got Ratchet confused.

"We're alright." Jack said, coughing. "Just some cement bags dropped." He coughed again. No one's hurt."

"Speak for yourself, Mr. Responsible." Miko commented. "My painting is now a mess."

"What, in the Allspark, is going on here?" Ratchet asked with an irritated tone. "Just what are you doing in there?"

"Well, we just thought we may want a space for ourselves. You know… so we won't get under your feet." Raf answered, cleaning his glasses.

"And who, exactly, gave you permission to use this room?" Ratchet asked with even more irritation.

"I cannot lie." Jazz answered, coming out from the corner. "I gave them the quarter."

"You did? Why would you do that?"

"Because the kids could use their own space. Not only they're safe from being stepped on, but also have their own place to rest from us. Besides, it's not like you or any of us was using that particular room… or half the complex anyway."

Ratchet intended to protest, but didn't seem to come up with a good reason. So he just started grumbling something in a different language, likely Cybertronian, while walking away. As the medic entered the command room, Bulkhead and Arcee looked towards the quarter given to the humans.

"What are you doing in there exactly?" the green giant asked, reaching towards the cloth. As he was about to pull it, he was met with a monkey wrench poking hard against his leg. He looked down, curious what was it, to find Jack with a tool and a devilish smile.

"Take a peek and I'll dismantle you in your recharge. Miko will redo your paint job and Raf will program you to dance Gangnam Style while you walk." As he warned the 'Bots, the lifted their servos and backed away, slowly. The Autobot guardians have seen the video of the dance a while ago on Miko's request. The alien robots, aside for their lieutenant, had no idea how was that entertainment. So doing that dance while they just wanted to walk seemed ridiculous and embarrassing. The kids smiled and returned to the quarter. Then Miko's head emerged.

"Don't worry, Bulk. I promise we'll show you when it's done." Miko said with a wide smile and pulled back, missing her guardian's priceless expression of disappointment.

"Aaw, but they're at it for almost a week now." He commented.

"Maybe I could sneak in and take a look." Arcee thought loudly.

"Why bother when we can just…" Hot Ride started, moving some cloth aside to take a glance. But as he tried to peek inside, something hit him in the optics. It turned out to be a balloon filled with black paint. He pulled his head out and wiped off what paint he could. "…never mind."

As the others chuckled, Ratchet's voice reached them. "We've got a situation." The medical officer called. Ironhide moved to the command room to learn what was it about, followed by Bumblebee and Jazz. "I've detected an energon moving somewhere on Tengger Desert. And considering it just appeared…"

"Open the ground bridge, doc." Ironhide said, slamming his fists together. "I've got this."

"Well I'll tag alone." Bumblebee said. Ironhide just gave him the look, as if he disapproved.

"I can manage on my own, sparkling." The weapon specialist said.

"Go with him. You may need back up." Jazz said. It wasn't exactly an order, but the red giant knew that Jazz wouldn't say that for no reason.

"Fine, sure. Whatever."

Ratchet input the coordinates into the ground bridge control before pulling the switch. The vortex opened, giving the 'Bots the means to get to their destination within seconds. And as the two entered the portal, the medic closed it. Than he flinched at the noise coming from the human-occupied quarter. He sighed in irritation.

* * *

**Tengger Desert**

Sand flew everywhere. But that was normal during sandstorms. With the vision limited to just a few meters, the Decepticon team was having a bit of difficulty in their work. They were digging for something. All they dug so far were some pillars. But they were not made by human hands. No, it was alien. And scanners picked up something. Originally, they were digging for energon, finding so little of it here. But as soon as they took about half of it, they picked up an even more powerful energy reading. And so, soon the warmongering cybertronians found these ruins. Suspecting to find some kind of powerful weapon or something, they continued their dig.

Although, not all Decepticons were thrilled about the stay. One in particular more than others. A red robot, who was clearly uncomfortable. "When will these Vehicons reach some kind of entrance?" he asked, annoyed. "This whole sand storm is going to ruin my paint job. Plus the sand is getting into my joints." That got him a strong slap to the head. He glared at the Decepticon who did that to him.

"Barricade does not approve your whining." Barricade said, with a threatening tone. "Focus on the task ahead, Knockout, or Barricade will ruin something more than your paint job."

As Barricade moved to the other section, Knockout made a comment, mimicking his comrades habit of addressing himself in third person. But when the Scarlet-and-silver 'Con glanced at him, Knockout quit it.

Unknown to the group, two Autobots were venturing the desert, having problems due to the storm. They were following the coordinates provided by Ratchet, but with all this sand in the air it was still difficult to maneuver. Worse, they weren't sure if they wouldn't bump into the Decepticons themselves.

"Slag it! How are we supposed to find the energy source in this storm?" Ironhide cursed.

"I think the sand storm will end soon." Bumblebee informed. Then a bleep came from him. "Picking something on a short range scanner."

"Got it too. Move it." The sergeant ordered. And both 'Bots made a turn. As they approached the peak of the dune, they transformed to their robot form, ducking. Bumblebee, being the scout, crawled a little closer. How thankful he was the storm eased. It would end any minute now, as he could see something below. He enlarged the image, but it did little to help. Silhouettes was all he could see. Then the yellow cybertronian noticed something. The pillars. But why would the 'Cons dig the ruins out to the surface? It made no sense.

Unless the energy signal was coming from these ruins.

Ironhide must have gotten that idea as well, as he leaped over the scout and charged at the silhouettes, firing from his cannons. The Vehicons noticed some of their comrades falling, shot by energy blasts. As they looked around in their confusion, they found the enemy. The group opened fire, as Knockout looked towards them. He looked closer to finally recognize the Autobot attacking them. "Oh, slag it." He cursed, and ran towards the dig crew. "Hurry up, you rusted junks. The Autobots cannot take whatever is buried here." He ordered the workers. Just as he pulled his servo away, after pointing towards the drills, a missile passed him- just inches from his face. That startled the red Decepticon, and caused him to lose his balance. He reached for his face and discovered some char on his face. "You. Ruined. My! PAINT JOB!" he roared, switching his servo into a blaster, only for Barricade to step before him.

"Forget about these, Knockout." Barricade ordered. "Barricade will deal with our guests." That got Knockout intrigued. What did the hunter mean by 'guests'? Unless… Of course. There must be another Autobot nearby.

Just like on cue, Bumblebee joined the fight, to see Ironhide shooting from his cannons with opened missile launchers. But then, the sergeant reached his servos forward, revealing a plasma thrower in his right servo and a small ion blaster in his left servo, while holding his shotgun. Also two small gatling guns appeared just above his hips, shooting the Vehicons trying to flank him. Bumblebee ducked some blasts and tried to stay out of his superior's way. Suddenly something caught his attention. The sandstorm eased enough for the scout to find Knockout running towards the workers, who seemed to finish digging. So he transformed and drove on. Ironhide caught the sight and covered him.

But then something hit him. Ironhide looked around to find the Decepticon hunter walking towards him, gesturing the Vehicons to stand down. "It's been a while, Ironhide."

"That it was, Barricade." Ironhide sneered, aiming at the 'Con. Two guns appeared on Barricade's shoulders, as he pulled out a gun from his tight. The two glared at each other, circling. Neither intended to make the first move. One of the troopers decided to shoot the Autobot in the back, only to be shot by Barricade in the head.

"Barricade made it clear! This back stabber is Barricade's!" He roared, making every drone back off.

"You still mad 'cause I switched sides, fan-bot?" Ironhide smirked mockingly.

"Barricade used to idolize you. And then you betrayed Lord Megatron. You think Barricade wouldn't hold a grudge against you?" the hunter opened fire from his gun, only for Ironhide to dodge and counter fire.

"You know I was given the reason." Ironhide missed. Then launched another missile, which Barricade shot.

"No reason is good enough to betray the Decepticons."

Barricade opened fire from the guns on his shoulders, only to be tackled by Ironhide.

* * *

Bumblebee switched to his bipedal form, beating the few 'Con drones guarding the workers. As he kept fighting his way through, Knockout kept gazing from the ruin entrance to the scout and back, clearly nervous. Finally, the worker exited the ancient structure, holding some kind of chest. The red 'Con smiled widely, taking it from the drone… but then Bumblebee hit him. Knockout flew some distance away before he finally pulled himself together, finding lots of scratches on his armor. "You have any idea how long will it take to buff that?" he snarled. He was about to arm his blaster, when the drone landed on top of him. Bumblebee took the chest and transformed, rolling out.

* * *

Ironhide and Barricade were now punching each other. Sparks were flying along with the sand as the two titans were fighting. The two were fighting so brutally that the Vehicons were doing their best to stay away from them. That was, however, difficult. The two were on rampage. The Vehicons were simply not there. So some unfortunate drones ended up with serious damage or holes through their chassis. There were only these two fighting and nothing more. That is until Ironhide caught sight of Bumblebee.

"Sergeant! I got the energy source! Let's get out of here!" the scout called through his comm-link.

"Got it, kid." Ironhide whispered, delivering a powerful blow to Barricade's chest. As the Decepticon tried to keep his balance, the Autobot pulled out something from his tight and threw it at him. Barricade got shocked at the sight of a bomb. But it was no ordinary bomb.

"Electro-Magnetic Impulse bomb?" Barricade yelled, as the explosive triggered. A large dome of electricity engulfed the area. Ironhide barely managed to get out of the blast range. Immediately, he transformed and followed the scout, as the sandstorm ended.

* * *

**Autobot base**

As soon as the two Autobots returned to base, Ironhide hit the CR chamber to get his wounds attended to. Meanwhile, Optimus and Ratchet were analyzing the chest. It was weird, radiating powerful energy.

"Should we open it, Optimus?" Ratchet asked.

"I would prefer we took safety measures, first, old friend." Prime answered. "I do not want us to risk unleashing some kind of corrosive gas."

Good point." Ratchet agreed. "But it will take some time before I can make something good enough for that." Optimus nodded in understanding. As he was about to continue, Miko ran in.

"Okay, guys! We're ready!" She shouted enthusiastically. As she ran back to the corridor, the humans' guardians, Hot Ride And Jazz chased after her, confusing the poor medic, who almost dropped the chest, and Optimus. The two glanced at each other before following the group. They found everyone waiting before the quarter that the kids closed off. "Ladies and gentlemen- or rather bots and femmes- We'd like to present you the greatest achievement and improvement this base EVER had!" the Japanese exchange student spoke.

"You mean you got us a space bridge?" Hot Ride asked in excitement.

Miko looked around in slight confusion. "Umm, no… But it's still cool. We give you, the one. The ONLY. IMPOSSIBLE TO EXIST ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET!" that was the cue. The cloth fell down, as if inviting the Autobots. "Our human area! AKA fortress Maximus!"

The 'Bots entered the room. Surely enough, some were surprised. The room looked like one of those VIPs homes. There was a huge refrigerator and a small kitchen area in one corner. In the other were three beds. On the higher level, there was a door to the command room, a large TV with a couch before it, a table between them and control pads. What caught the 'Bots' attention was the painting on the walls, presenting the Autobots and the humans.

"Aww, that's sweet of you, guys." Bumblebee commented, truly touched. "But, um… Fortress Maximus is already taken."

"Scrap. But the place is still cool, right?" Miko said with a huge smile, passing by the jacuzzi and reached for her guitar. "Now let's party!" she announced and hit it. A powerful noise came from the huge loudspeakers. However, the sound was off. Before she could do anything, Jack came out from behind, grunting in pain.

"Miko! I told you I'll let you know when it's okay to play!" Jack shouted, holding his head the whole time.

That's when Arcee approached him. "Are you okay Jack?" She asked with a raised eye-plate. Jack only looked up at her.

"What? Why would you need an orangutan? Where will I even get you an orangutan on Thursday night?" the raven haired teen asked loudly, confusing everyone… and making the other two humans, plus Jazz, laugh.

**End**

* * *

**A.N.:** Hope you liked it. Until next time.


	9. 08 War and Peace

**-08-**

**War and peace**

Jack sighed as the he got out of class. He rubbed his face and walked down to the sidewalk, where Arcee was already waiting for him. Boy he couldn't get used to what he saw since morning. For some strange reason, the femme changed her paintjob, and now was mostly white with blue stripes running along and red/pink graphics. She explained the change due to Ironhide reliving some painful memories that were common with Arcee's. But she refused to talk about it. So, he decided to drop the topic. Still, it was strange.

Anyway, he made his way towards her, ready to take the ride, when he felt a tight grip on his shoulder. Jack was about to let his irritation be known, when he was forced to turn around and face Vince- the red haired bully. Man, how Jack hated being anywhere near him. The guy, for no reason, was assaulting him. Every day, day in, day out, the raven haired teen had to deal with him. What was it that Jack had done to the guy who was clearly ripped?

"Yo, Darby. Leaving already?" Vince asked, while holding Jack by the collar. Jack winced a little from pain. Also, he could feel his anger growing. How he wanted to hit that jerk now. He could feel his insides burning with anger… but he refused to strike back.

"Actually, Vince, I was." He said as calmly as possible. "Mind letting me go already?"

Vince just pressed him against the wall. "You're not going anywhere, Dumby." The red head growled and threw the raven haired boy to the ground. Seeing this, Arcee was about to intervene. No way would she allow someone to push the kid around. She managed to capture Jack looking at her and letting her know not to break Optimus' orders. "Get up, Darby. We got something to discuss." Vince caught him by the shirt, lifted him and pressed against the wall again.

"Hey, bully! Leave him alone!" Miko yelled, as she exited the building, followed by Raf. Vince only took a glance at the two.

"Or what?" he asked mockingly, "You, his girlfriend, are gonna hit me?"

"First off: I'm not his girlfriend. Second- what's the matter? Afraid of losing to a girl?" the exchange student from Japan questioned cockily. She didn't show fear of that guy. Actually, Miko let everyone in school know she thought of Vince to be a coward, bullying others just because he felt insecure.

The bully glared at Miko, causing her to slightly stiffen. "Get in line, puny." I'll deal with you after I'm done with Dork-by." He announced, lifting his fist up high. The 'Bots, Miko and Raf were ready to jump in- especially the 'Bots. Forget the rules. Jack was in danger now.

But it was Vince who got hit. Or rather kicked. Jack turned around to find his savior. A tall, rather bulky for his age, 17-year-old African American boy with dreads. Jack actually smiled at the sight of the young adult.

"Terry?" Jack asked in disbelieve. "That you?" he asked, getting up on his feet. He was about to say something more, but was interrupted by the teen now known as Terry.

"Be with you in a minute, Jacky." He said, not taking his eyes off the red head.

"Who are you, creep?" Vince asked, ready to deliver a punch.

"Terrence." He answered, folding his well build arms. "Terry for friends… which you clearly are not, Apeface."

Vince growled. He was turning all red in anger and was about to charge. He took a few deep breaths and calmed down. Then he turned around and started walking away, as if nothing happened.

Or so it seemed that way. "This isn't over, Darby." The red head pointed at Jack before finally leaving. As he drove off in his customized muscle car, Jack and the older teen gave each other a high five.

"Terry, my man. Haven't seen you in days. Where were you all these years?" Jack asked.

"You mean all these three boring years?" the muscular teen asked. "Vegas, bro. and who are your new friends?" he asked pointing at Miko and Raf.

"Right. These are Miko and Raf." He introduced the two. Then turned to the duo. "Guys. Meet Terry. My best friend since grade school." He patted the taller teen.

"Jacky. You're embarrassing me." He replied with a fake blush. But then his phone rang. As he checked it, he raised his hand. "Sorry, Jacky. Gotta run. We'll catch up some other time. See ya." He ran off.

Jack raised his hand. "Smell ya later, Terry." Finally he turned towards Arcee and, just arriving, Bulkhead and Bumblebee. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting."

"Be thankful that guy came to your rescue when he did." Miko commented.

"Speaking of which, why didn't you fight back, kid?" Arcee asked. "Your father was a soldier, right? Didn't he teach you some self-defense technics?"

"I'd rather not. I don't want any fights." He answered in a bored manner.

"'Don't want any fights'?" Miko asked in disbelieve. "Dude, you kidding me? You should've hit him back."

"I agree with Miko on this one, Jack." Bulkhead said. "Believe me. We know from experience that when you're being attacked, you have to fight back."

Jack hopped on Arcee and sighed heavily. "That guy wouldn't cause me any harm aside for bruises. Besides, violence doesn't solve problems. It just makes them bigger."

"You surprise me, kid." The female Autobot commented. By now, Jack had grown accustomed to her referring to him by his name when actually concerned for his health, but being called kid all the time was still annoying him greatly. "I don't know whether to praise you or pity you. You just sound naïve."

"Maybe Optimus can talk some sense into him?" Bulkhead suggested. And Jack remembered something.

"Speaking of which, Arcee. Mind dropping me home? Also, I won't be present for the next two days." He informed his guardian. If the femme was to be in her robot form, she would have an incredibly confused look.

"W-why, kid? You decided to quit the team again?" she asked nervously.

"I'll… just be gone for a few days out of town with Kelly. So would you mind not following us?"

"Absolutely not, kid." She said, as if letting the human know there is no place for discussion. "As your guardian, I am to keep an eye on you."

"It's private, Arcee." Jack said a bit harshly, "But if you really want to know, I'm just going to have some check-up done."

"Check-up? Are you sick?"

"Sorry, Arcee. But I really don't like talking about it. It's just… a touchy subject." Catching Jack's solemn tone, Arcee figured it must've been something real big and painful. While it caught her curiosity, she decided not to bother. After all, why should she?

* * *

**Autobot base**

Jazz and Ironhide were sparring in the middle of the command room. Their moves were incredibly fast despite their built and size. Their servo, whenever delivering a blow, turned into a blur. Sparks began flying every here and there, mixed with the lights. While the two were sparring, the cyber-ninja clearly was taking it much more lightly than his bigger friend, who seemed to be pushing himself a bit more.

Ratchet was working on some kind of scanner, taking a glance every few minutes at the two in case they went too far. Though he didn't need to worry too much. If it was these two, or at the very least Jazz, things were rather under control. The medic admitted a long time ago that, despite being so carefree, Jazz was incredibly reliable.

Though he was feeling a bit uncomfortable about Ironhide. After all, the sergeant was an ex-Decepticon. So aggression was his nature. Ratchet was always careful whenever around him, fearing the red-and-grey hulk would tear him someday for one reason or another. Even after Optimus Prime came to trust him, the medic was still cautious around him simply due to his more violent nature.

The three seized their activities when the human guardians arrived, just as Optimus entered the room. Jazz would once joke that Optimus seemed to appear only when the kids were around. However, when the Autobot leader saw only two, not three children, he appeared confused. "Where is Jackson?" he asked, looking at Arcee.

"Kid decided not to show up today." She answered. "Said he'll be too busy for a while to drop by." She explained in an uncaring tone.

"I say that's for the better." Bulkhead commented. "I hope he'll toughen up when he returns."

The green cybertronian's words were not ignored by Optimus. "Bulkhead? Did Jackson do something to upset you?"

"Well, turns out the kid's a big softie." He answered.

"Softie?" Prime asked a little confused with the term.

"A pushover. A coward. The guy who won't stand up for himself." Miko ran through whatever name she could think of.

"The kid got assaulted by some kid with anger issues." Arcee begun to explain. She explained the full story, since she was there from the start. After she finished, Optimus seemed to be in deep thought.

"Given that Jack's father was a soldier Jack should be familiar with some defense technics." Optimus commented. "However I cannot help but admire his stand to the principle."

"Are you kidding, Optimus?" Bulkhead nearly shouted in disbelief. "Considering we're at war for millennias, you actually approve this junk?"

"While we are in war, which leaves us with little choice, I fear we may be losing ourselves to the conflict. Not realizing we are becoming just like the Decepticons." the red titan spoke.

"You gotta be kiddin' me!" Bulk was dumbfounded. He turned towards Ironhide. "C'mon, sergeant. Back me up here." He begged.

The scarred Autobot just shrugged. "Sounds deep. The boy's father sound like a great warrior." was all he said.

Bulkhead waved his servos in defeat. This was a lost cause.

Before he could make a comment, Ratchet spoke. "Optimus! Sensors have picked up some strange energy readings. It's not energon but…"

"I'll go scout it." Bulkhead volunteered. "I need to get out of this crazy house." He growled.

"Cool. Can I tag along?" Miko asked with enthusiasm. The green giant looked at her, then went into deep thought and looked back at her.

"Why not? It's just a reckon mission after all." He stated. Optimus was a bit hesitant. But after some thinking he nodded in approval.

* * *

**Decepticon Island**

"Lord Megatron. I wish to report that Soundwave has located a strong energy spike somewhere north in 'Canada'." Knockout spoke as he entered a dark room. The red lights hardly illuminated the room, only showing a large silhouette form of Megatron Absolute sitting in his throne. his head lifted as his optics shined onto the medic. The red Decepticon shivered, believing his lord would attack him for one reason or another. His fears grew more when the warlord got up and walked over to him. Knockout decided to mention one last thing before the inevitable strike. "T-the scout party… is ready… a-a-and awaiting y-your approval." He shut his optics when the giant got close enough.

Surprisingly there was no punch. Nor kick, slap or blast. There wasn't even any shouting. Knockout looked with one optic on his lord, who seemed to be waiting for something. So the 'Con medic decided to finish his report. "T-that would be all, my liege." He finished nervously.

"Send Thundercracker, Skywarp and our special case for this one." Megatron said calmly. Knockout just seemed to have a confused look.

"If I may ask, my Lord. Why only those three? And especially HIM?"

"I'd rather avoid heavy loses for simple scouting missions, considering the Autobots are likely to investigate the sighting as well. Besides, he is more than suitable to occupy the Autobots while the Seekers investigate." He explained, sitting back on his throne.

As you command, Master." Knockout bowed, turned around and left, never seeing a strange smile on Megatron's face.

* * *

**Northern Alberta**

A green Autobot walked slowly and carefully through the woods. He tried to be quiet, really. However, it was hard considering his massive size. He looked at the scanner to confirm he was going the right direction. Also, he kept looking down at his charge, Miko, who went with him.

Bulkhead was not trying to hide his grimace. He was annoyed how Optimus easily agreed with Jack's statement. And it was stupid in his opinion. If the boy was attacked, he should've fought back. So why hold back? Just one punch and the guy knows not to mess with him. That's how he dealt with things. Sure, he wasn't someone who enjoyed violence, but he considered that a necessity. And he would beat up anyone threatening his friends.

Just now the scanner started beeping louder than a minute ago. He looked around to find nothing. Was the scanner broken? His train of thoughts seized when he heard a loud, thunderous sound. He barely dodged a thunderbolt which broke a massive boulder into pieces. The green giant looked at the ruble and then towards where the destructive force came from. And there he noticed Thundercracker and Skywarp, standing on the cliff. Smirking.

"Guid reflexes, auldjin. Ye managed tae dodge it (Good reflexes, old man. You managed to dodge it.)" the blue Seeker commented.

"Indeed. It is a quite remarkable feed for one as big as you to be able and perform something like this." Skywarp said. "However, that is hardly anything that is a threat to our objective."

"Why you intellectual-wanna-be… You think you can just strike me and get away with it?" Bulkhead growled as he stood up. He quickly glanced at the human girl. "Take cover, Miko. This is gonna get ugly…" he was interrupted by the sudden pain through his shoulder joint, as he fell again. He looked up to find a red Grumman F-14 Tomcat with black and gold elements fly over him. The jet transformed into the cybertronian with a very specific built, land beneath the Seekers and pulling out what looked like a rifle.

"Bulkhead, buddy!" The Decepticon called cheerfully, waving his servo. "It's me, Deadscore! I shot you! And yes, readers! I'm basically Deadpool. But in a Transformer incarnation! HOW COOL IS THAT…?"

He got shot by Bulkhead, who was lifting himself. Miko looked at her friend with concern, while the Seekers approached their 'comrade'.

"Deadscore. Remember to keep them busy. We will scout the source of the energy spike." Skywarp ordered.

"You got it, Flyboy. I'm gonna keep him as busy as I am cool. Ha ha." The red Decepticon with black rings around his optics answered, lifting himself. He reached for his chest, pulling out a pair of pistols and charged at the Autobot who was now ready for a fight. As the two Seekers left for their mission, Miko hid behind a huge tree and watched her guardian dodging the shots from his foe. Deadscore kept yelling 'bang' with each shot he gave, running forwards. As he approached Bulk's hiding spot, to deliver a devastating barrage, his face was met with a massive mace. The Decepticon backed in pain, as the Autobot delivered another whack. And another. Finally, Bulkhead's mace transformed into a cannon and the green 'Bot shot Deadscore in the face, blowing half of it off. Miko was at awe seeing this, taking some photos.

Bulkhead huffed triumphantly as he kicked the Decepticon's body and approached Miko to pick her up. "C'mon, Miko. We need to get those to." he instructed her.

"So, who was that guy, anyway?" the girl asked curiously, watching as Bulkhead grimaced.

"Deadscore and I go way back. That guy killed my friends in the early days of the Great War. I used to be a laborer. Me and my friend were doing some conservation work at the Temple of Vector Prime when he came in and killed all of them just for fun." Bulkhead explained.

"And it was so much fun!" a voice got his attention. In confusion, Bulkhead turned around to find Deadscore pointing his one pistol at him. Before Bulkhead's processor could process what's happening, he got shot in the leg.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

"Ye think he kin deal wi' him? (You think he can deal with him?)" Thundercracker asked his partner. The two have been searching in silence for so long it finally bored the blue Decepticon. Of all the things, he would rather be the one to stay behind to fight. However, Megatron made it clear WHY he send Deadscore with them.

Skywarp sighed heavily. "Honestly, Thundercracker? I hope he gets terminated. That guy is just annoying."

"Whit did ye expect fae th' Killer-Wi'-th'-mooth? (What did you expect from the killer-with-the-Mouth?)" Thundercracker asked, before his scanner went mad. "Fun something! (Found something!)"

* * *

**Elsewhere**

"BULKHEAD!" Miko cried in horror, as her guardian dropped, supporting his weight with his free servo. Miko was glared at the Decepticon in from of them, who leaped into the air, as his wings transformed into two katana-like swords. "BANZAI!" he yelled, aiming his blades at the Autobot. Luckily, Bulkhead rolled over, making the blades miss. As Deadscore was about to strike again, he got shot in the face, again. He did not lose as much of his face as before, but still a part of it.

Miko did not turn away from the Decepticon, while Bulkhead tried to get up. And what she saw horrified her. There were electrical charged and a reddish mist around the parts blown off the 'Con's head. Slowly, everything was setting back in place, as if time itself was going backwards. So that's how was still up and running. That guy had some kind of healing factor…

"Hey, author! You know what I got! You made me after all. And I'm Deadpool, basically."

Dude. Shut up. Don't interact with me.

"Oh, c'mon. It's not like the readers actually care what's gonna happen ne…"

Deadscore got hit with a mace to his midsection. He rubbed his 'stomach' as Bulkhead hit him in the head, sending him to the ground face down. The Autobot was about to strike him again, to finish this, when Deadscore rolled out of the way. But Bulkhead managed to grab him and threw him away. The Decepticon hit the tree with enough force to knock it down. But to Bulkhead's horror, it was falling straight on Miko. The girl noticed this and tried to run. But for a completely not understandable reason, she was running in the tree's shadow. As the tree was about to crush her, the girl shut her eyes, expecting great pain. But it never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw Bulkhead holding the tree. The giant did his best to push the tree aside, but that left him vulnerable. Deadscore charged at him and stabbed him in the side. The pain was so great that the Autobot let go of the tree.

"MIKO!" Bulk shouted in pure horror. And it also got him so mad he smashed Deadscore's head with both his maces. As the 'Con lied on the ground, taking time to regenerate, Bulk crawled towards the tree that fell on Miko. He tried to push the tree, but was too weak. "Miko! No, no, no… NO!" he cried.

"Bummer, ain't it, Bulky?" Deadscore's voice got his attention. The Autobot turned around to find his nemesis transform and take off into the sky. Bulkhead was furious. He lost all of his friends to this guy. Including Miko.

No, he didn't lose the human girl to him. He lost her to himself. He allowed himself to give into violence so much he endangered his friend. '_Violence doesn't solve problems. It just makes them bigger._' These words suddenly echoed through the green giant's head. And rust him, Jack was right. He just lied there for a while, sulking over Miko's apparent death. He was unsure of what to do.

"Are you okay, Bulk?" a voice asked him.

"Yeah. I'm just sulking because you got crushed, Miko." He answered. Then it hit him like Megatron's fusion cannon's blast. "MIKO!" he cheered, picking the girl up. She was covered in dirt, but otherwise unharmed. "I'm sorry Miko. I thought you were…"

"Nah, I managed to give it a slip." She explained casually. "Now, let's go kick the 'Cons' tailpipes."

"Oh no, Miko. We're sending you back to base first." The green giant said.

Miko did not hide her disappointment. "Aw, I want to see you in action." She whined.

"No, Miko! You almost got hurt. I am not taking any chances." He said with a strong voice. Then he reached to his 'ear' which also acts as a comm-link. "Bulkhead to base."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

The Seekers stood over a hole they dug. And from there they took out a crystal. Thundercracker was pacing back and forth as Skywarp was making an analysis. And it was annoying. It was just taking so long. And soon things got worse.

A familiar aircraft came into view, making the two whine in disappointment. Deadscore landed between the two with a loud thud, stood up and dusted himself.

"So, Seekers, found anything that isn't scrap?" he asked.

"Indeed." Skywarp said, as the scanner finished analyzing. "We found some good quality energon. However, the crystals are so small that despite being present in a wide area,, mining it won't even make up for the energon we'd spent."

"So, can I blow it all sky high? Oh please! Say yes." Deadscore begged, clapping his hands.

"Urgh… Braw. Juist mak' it quick... 'n' safe, ye eejit. (Fine. Just make it quick… and safe, you idiot.)" Thundercracker said, as he and Skywarp transformed and took off.

Deadscore rubbed his servos together, giggling like mad, as he pulled out a few explosives. He was so going to enjoy this. But before he could set the charges, he heard a horn. He turned around to find a green SUV charging at him. The insane…

"Who are you calling insane, writer?"

Oh shut up. Ehem… The Insane Decepticon managed to jump over the vehicle in the nick of time, rolling and pulling out his guns. Bulkhead transformed into his robot form and shot at his foe. Deadscore lost one of his pistols, as time seemed to go in slow motion.

"Nnnnooooo! Ttthhhaaattt wwwaaasss mmmyyy fffaaavvvooouuurrriiittteee ggguuunnn!" he said in that slow-motion-moment, as Bulkhead managed to deliver a devastating barrage of blasts. Deadscore unsheathed his blades and leaped towards the green Autobot, who just rolled aside. Bulkhead was doing fine, but with his leg injured like that, not to mention the stab wound to his side, he wouldn't win. Unless… He looked around to find one of the charges Deadscore dropped. He smirked.

"Hey, Deadscore." He called. "How's it like to keep rebuilding your ugly face to an even uglier one?" he mocked him.

"Who are you calling ugly, Bulky?" Deadscore took the bait. And dashed at the Autobot, transforming. Bulk tried to run away, but fell over when Deadscore flew above him. The 'Con was about to turn around, to deliver the final blow, when something got his attention. To his surprise, one of his explosives was attached to his underside. What's worse it was about to explo…

"Wait a minute! When did he even managed to reach it? C'mon, this is bul…!" he was interrupted by a powerful explosion. Bulkhead watched as a huge fireball was falling towards the mountain side.

"Goodbye and good riddance, Deadscore." He said with a hint of sorrow in his voice. "You're finally free, brother." He lowered his head.

* * *

**Autobot base**

Ratchet was overseeing Bulkhead's recovery in the CR chamber, as the others were carrying in the energon. According to their calculations, mining the whole energon from there would take at least two months. Luckily, the government agreed to provide them the tools necessary, so they wouldn't waste their resources.

Optimus approached the CR chamber, wishing to talk to the green giant. "How are you feeling, Bulkhead?"

"A bit better. How's Miko?"

"She is unharmed. And is worried about you."

"Tell her I'll be dune bashing with her anytime now. I gotta say it though, Jack was somewhat right. Violence is a bad thing, no matter whether for good or bad."

"I am pleased to hear you say that, Bulkhead." Optimus smiled. It would appear Bulkhead learned something.

* * *

**Decepticon Island**

"And that concludes our report, Lord Megatron." Skywarp finished his report. The Decepticon warlord was just looking at the two Seekers uninterested.

"I see." He said. Then continued. "And what of Deadscore? What of his fate?"

"It wid appear whit th' magnetic-regeneration-module didnae hulp him this time aroond. (It would appear the magnetic-regeneration-module did not help him this time around.)" Thundercracker spoke.

"Is that so?" he asked suspiciously, eyeing the Seekers. After a long moment of silence, Megatron Absolute waved his servo. "You may leave."

The Seekers bowed and made their exit. On their way, Skywarp smiled. "I am most happy about Deadscore's demise. Now it'll be more like the good old days."

"Ye mean lik' back whin th' color scheme wis th' ainlie wey tae tell us seekers apairt? (You mean like back when the color scheme was the only way to tell us Seekers apart?)" Thundercracker asked obliviously, earning a funny look from his comrade.

"That too." He answered, as the door shut behind them.

Megatron's face hardened. He tapped onto the miniature console on his throne and a holographic screen projected before him. "This is Megatron. I just got some new information regarding Project Kremzeek. Deadscore has been terminated. The regenerative abilities granted through the module have been pushed to the limits. Save the data however. It may proof useful in the future. Now proceed with the electrum." He paused for a second. Also, make sure the Iacon is cut out for evacuation or reinforcements. I am counting on you, Shockwave." He deactivated the screen and went into stasis, wondering.

**End**

* * *

**A.N.: Hope you like it. A little spoiler, next chapter will focus on Arcee and Jack. And remember to review, give some suggestions, who you'd like to see and so on. See ya next time.**

Deadscore: Shh, and support my return.

Me: Shut up, Deadpool-wanna-be. You were a one shot character. Rust in pit.

Cast:

**Deadscore**- Nolan North


	10. 09 The Big Game Hunt

**-09-**

**Big game hunt**

Jack was running like a madman. His whole body was aching. His throat was burning. Sweat was coming into his eyes. He almost tripped every few seconds. He wanted to look back, to see the distance between himself and the hunter. This was supposed to be a simple recon. And now his life was at danger. He was ducking after a few energy shots as he continued passing through the tall trees. To make things worse, he was being chased by…

A giant, humanoid form landed before him. Jack looked up to find his pursuer- Arcee. She aimed at the boy, who barely managed to jump aside, avoiding the blast. He continued to run. He ran as fast as he could, hoping to find a safe spot. But she was onto him, running rather slowly. She was about to grab him, when he suddenly jumped into a small cave, while the female Autobot tripped and fell. Jack took a few seconds to rest, to think.

"How did I end up in this mess?" he asked himself.

* * *

**Few hours earlier**

Arcee, Hot Ride and Jazz were having a spar. Jack was fully absorbed as he watched the three doing a two-on-one fight. He recalled how the Autobot second-in-command told him how the femme was still green in comparison to him. He thought it was just an interpretation. But as he watched them, he couldn't believe how the two younger 'Bots struggled, while Jazz wasn't taking them seriously one bit. It was amazing to see him moving so swiftly, so quickly. He was an absolute blur while Arcee and her friend tried their best to land a punch or kick. Sadly, they were nowhere near that. Then Jazz grabbed Hot Ride's servo, when the ladder overreached, and tossed him at Arcee, sending both to the wall. As they were about to get up, the cyber-ninja master pointed his knife at them.

"Class dismissed." Jazz said, folding his blade. The two defeated Autobots got up on their legs, grunting in pain a bit. As they got up, Hot Ride made his way to his quarters.

"So, you learn anything from watching them, Jack?" Miko, who entered the command room to see the epic finish, asked.

"Only that Arcee really is nowhere near beating Jazz anytime soon." Jack commented quietly.

However, Arcee was able to hear him. And she didn't take the comment well. "Oh? Am I to understand you can beat me, kid?" she asked with an annoyed tone, making Jack raise his arms in defense.

"Whoa, hold your horses, Arcee." Jack said hastily. "I only said Jazz must really have a lot of combat experience to take you on like that AND be your master."

"Yeah, he is." She said as she calmed down. She was looking at Jazz, who was now talking with Ratchet. She glanced at her human charge with one optic and smiled at the thought. "Think you could take me on?" she asked.

"W-what?" Jack asked. "Are you kidding me? You'll crush me before I can even scratch you."

"Relax, kiddo. I was just joking." Arcee chuckled. "Besides, what's your best strength anyway? Juggling wrenches?" she joked.

Jack was the annoyed one now. "You'd be surprised to be beaten by I.Q. of…" he murmured to himself. Arcee and Miko wanted to ask what was he saying, but decided to let it go.

"So, Jack, mind telling me what was that 'check-up' you had done last week?" Miko asked. The raven haired teen growled in annoyance. It was about twentieth time this week she asked.

"No, Miko. I do not want to talk about that." Jack answered her as if talking to a five year old.

"Oh, c'mon. Don't be like that. Oh please, oh please, oh please…" Miko kept bugging the older teen, earning a glare from him. Before anything could happen, a signal from Ratchet's terminal caught everyone's attention. Optimus approached the terminal and activated it. And the screen showed a middle-aged African American in a suit.

"Prime! I got some news I believe you would like to know." The man said with a stern tone.

"I am listening, Special Agent Fowler." Optimus replied.

"Our intel says about some strange sighting. We don't have the details aside from what Agent Simmons calls an electromagnetic tornado. Whatever it is, he confirmed it's of alien origin. But no signs of Decepticons as far as we can tell." The federal agent reported, leaving Optimus to wonder.

"We shall dispatch a team for recon." Optimus said. Perhaps it is a part of the Cybertron vessel which fell off the day we crash-landed on your world."

"I'm sending coordinates right now." Fowler informed. "And I need to remind you: should it be a weapon, you are to report it."

"You can't be serious, Agent Fowler!" Ratchet protested. "You've already taken our ship. Our tech. Our Teletraan I! You got us working on this primitive equipment, while the Decepticons just lack the means of interstellar transportation!"

"Easy, Ratchet." Optimus said calmly, gesturing the medic, who grumbled something.

"Special Agent Fowler out." the screen went black. The Autobots were about to discuss the course of action, when Miko asked a vital question.

"Who was that? I thought just the three of us knew about you." She asked.

"Special Agent Fowler is the liaison between your government and us, usually giving us information of alien sighing and/or covering our activity from the public." Optimus explained. Raf nodded in understanding, while the exchange student sighed in a complaining manner. Then The Last of the Primes turned towards the Autobots. "If this phenomenon is not a work of the Decepticons, there is no doubt they will be on to it. Arcee, this mission will be most successful with you." He turned to Arcee.

"Got it, Optimus." She replied, walking over to the ground bridge platform. Before she made it halfway there, Jack ran over next to her.

"Mind if I come with you?" he asked. "I'd rather hear you constantly addressing me 'kid' then Miko asking me for something I don't want to talk about. Besides, these coordinates suggests Yellowstone National Park. And I'm pretty familiar with that particular place you're going to."

The white femme looked at him for a while before turning to Optimus. "This is just a reconnaissance mission. Should anything happen, Ratchet can just open a ground bridge." She reasoned. The red titan was in deep thought, considering it.

"She's reasonable, Boss Bot." Jazz spoke. "She can tell when to send Jack back here."

"Very well. Jackson has my permission to go with Arcee for this mission." The Autobot leader agreed. As Jack showed his gratitude, Optimus kneeled before him. "But I suggest you prepare yourself for this mission, Jackson."

"Just give me 5 minutes." He said hastily, sprinting to the human space.

Meanwhile, Jazz approached the female Autobot. "Stay safe, Arcee."

"No worries, lieutenant. I'll keep the kid from harm's way." She said confidently.

"Hope so. I mean, it'd embarrassing if he was to safe your tailpipe." He smirked, causing her to look at him with disbelieve.

* * *

**Yellowstone National Park**

The vortex closed. Now the team of two was walking along a cliff's edge. Arcee kept her optics on the scanner, looking around every now and then to be sure she would fall. And it was a long way down. It's not like a fall from this height would kill her. But it could cause her some damage and, certainly, pain. Then she looked back at Jack, who's behavior was a bit comical in her opinion. When the two entered the forest, the human teen stiffened greatly. He was pale for a while. He explained how he remembered coming here with dad for camping. Once, the boy got lost in the forest for a few days and nearly attacked by a bear. Since then, Jack was a bit afraid, or at least feeling uncomfortable, in the forest.

Now the kid was waving his hands, trying to chase the bugs, grumbling how he should've taken an insect repellant. "Quite the outdoorsman, aren't you, kid?" she asked with a smile.

Jack smiled slightly, clearly trying not to show how badly he was feeling in this place. "You wouldn't be laughing at my survivor kit." He said.

"Maybe." she commented in a teasing manner.

"I may not have a metal stinger-proof skin, Arcee. But with my Swiss knife, a flare, a compass and some survival skills taught by my parents, I can make it out alive from this place if you were to suddenly abandon me." Jack commented

You've got your tools, kid. I've got mine." She spoke. "Plus, what good could you do with these against the 'Cons? Burn their mesh?" she mocked him. She continued walking, not noticing the teen's scowl.

"You'll be surprised when I kick your aft…" he murmured under his nose.

"Like that'll happen." She commented with a smile. Jack flinched when he heard her. Her audio receptors must've been really sensitive now.

The two kept walking down hill, towards the place where the electromagnetic distortion was reported. They made about three breaks on their way. One for Jack to eat something and another one by the river to drink something. Then the third break was because Arcee felt the need to report their current progress.

Finally, as the sun touched the horizon, they reached the place. And it was a surprise. For the two. For Jack- because this place shouldn't be an open field. On the contrary. It should be full of gigantic trees, dwarfing even Optimus Prime. As for Arcee, the sight of the field with a scorching dirt in the middle made her feel as if someone she knew was around. And it brought some bad memories.

**Flashback**

_Arcee and two more Autobots were racing through the tunnels, avoiding the Decepticon blaster shots. The femme transformed and struck down the Vehicon before her. Then she switched back to her vehicle form and pressed on, leading her friends. As the trio reached some kind of warehouse, they transformed. The Autobot to her right was a green-and-silver female Autobot with violet highlights. She was about the same size as Arcee. Then there was the other femme to her left, who was looking out for any tailing 'Cons. She was taller than the other two, with a purple-and-orange armor. She turned her yellow optics onto her fellow Autobot friends with a warm smile._

"_I think we lost them." She said._

"_Don't be so sure, Ransack." The green femme said. "The Combaticons don't quit so easily."_

"_Calm down, Moonracer, sister." Arcee spoke, calming the green femme. "We'll rest for a while. I'll just confirm with my partner where do we need to arrive and we'll be on our way. Okay?"_

_Moonracer nodded in understanding. "Alright, big sister. Sorry." She said tiredly._

_Arcee turned to the Other femme. "Ransack. Keep an optic online." She commanded, receiving a nod from her. Then she activated her comm-link. "This is Arcee. Mirage, do you copy? Over."_

"_**I hear you**__." Mirage answered. "__**How's the situation? Over.**__"_

"_We're 50 clicks north from the Crystal City, partner. But we're being pursued by Combaticons. And I fear Motormaster will cut our only escape route before we can get there."_

"_**No worries, partner. Me and the team are ready for them. The bridge is secured.**__"_

"_Roger that partner. See you in a cycle. Arcee out." She deactivated her comm-link and turned to her comrades. "The bridge has been secured."_

"_So Mirage really did it?" Ransack asked with a curious look._

"_Of course he did. That's why he's her partner." Moonracer commented._

"_Now let's move." Arcee ordered. "We must reach it before Onslaught catches up to us."_

_As she was about to transform, something got her leg. Arcee looked down to find some greenish webbing holding her foot. She looked up to find a yellow flash, clearly from a visor. Her optics widened in shock. A Decepticon._

"_Arcee!" Moonracer shouted in horror, running to her sister and aiming at the 'Con. "No worries. We won't let the 'Cons take you."_

"_Actually, Moonracer, there's been a change of plans." Ransack said, shooting the green femme. Moonracer flew back so far, she was send falling into the abyss._

"_MOONRACER! NO!" Arcee shouted in horror, just before she backed out._

**Flashback end**

The white femme returned to reality and shook her head. "Arcee?" a young voice got her attention. The cyber-ninja looked down to find Jack looking at her with concern. She quickly made a strong face and approached the scorched spot. She knelt down and analyzed it.

"I know what did this." She commented. "But why here?" she asked silently. Then activated the comm-link. "Arcee to base. Requesting immediate ground bridge, now!" she called. Jack could tell something was wrong. Arcee's optics widened when she got statics. "Scrap. This magnetic distortion is scrambling communication." She stated.

"Arcee? W-what's going on?" the human teen asked, even more afraid.

"Get somewhere safe, kid." She instructed him, coldly. Then she pulled out his gun and moved onward. "Is there any place where you can take shelter at least?" she asked.

"Well, there a ranger station not far south from here. Why?" he asked.

"Head there. If I'm not back in one hour, call for ground bridge and evacuate. Understand?" she gave Jack a hard look, telling him there was no discussion. Then she moved onward, running and leaping.

Jack shook his head. He wasn't going to let her do anything alone. What if she'd need back up? He took a few deep breaths and ran after her. Something told him he would regret that.

Arcee walked, or rather sneaked, through the forest, following some strange tracks. She could tell they belong to something other than local wildlife. The tracks were too familiar.

**Flashback**

_Arcee awoke from stasis. She found herself hovering above the ground, held by the magnetic cuffs. She tried to free herself, but couldn't. She looked around her surroundings. She was in some kind of cell. One she was not familiar with. Where was she? She looked more, finding she was alone. And before she could remember what happened, the doors opened._

"_My, my. Our little female Autobot scout is finally awake. How nice." The voice said, chuckling madly. Arcee turned towards the door to find the owner of the voice. A tall, black-and-purple Decepticon with red horn helmet, a face-plate and a yellow visor and what looked like two additional pairs of optics. The 'Con had broad shoulders and torso and three talons for fingers. But the most distinguished feature of his were four arms and two more, spider leg-like limbs on his back. The femme's optics showed horror when she recognized him._

"_Tyrantulas." She spoke._

"_So you heard of me. I'm flattered." He mockingly accepted the acknowledgement. "But then again, it takes the element of surprise in interrogating you." He approached her, looking into her optics, before grabbing her head and pulling her closer. "Now, I believe you'd like to know that your other female comrade failed to be found. Typical for you femmes. You're all so… scatter-processored." He mocked, laughing madly._

"_Moonracer. You allowed her to die. YOU ERROR!" she yelled._

"_Now, now. That's no way for a femme to talk. Then again, what I'm going to do with you should be enough of a punishment. For now, let us see what's in that pretty head of yours." Tyrantulas said, reaching for a rod. He started laughing insanely, pressing the rod against the scout._

**Flashback end**

Arcee shook her head. This was no time for that. She pressed onwards, following the tracks, unaware of someone observing her. But she soon realized that when she found the tracks vanishing. The only way they could end in the middle of nowhere was for one to jump into the trees.

Arcee turned around, aiming her gun, only to have her servo and weapon wrapped in a web. Before she could do anything, she got punched and send flying into the nearby boulder. She was too dazed to react and dodge. She got wrapped in a cocoon.

* * *

She finally came to her senses and looked in the face of the one to capture her. A female cybertronian, but with a Decepticon insignia glowing on her chest. She was taller than Arcee, slightly bulkier, with claws on her fingers and two big horns on her helmet. Also, what terrified the Autobot femme, she had spider-like limbs on her back.

"Airachnid?" she whispered. "No, it can't be! I saw you die back then!" she cried, making the Decepticon chuckle.

"Oh my little Arcee. I assure you I didn't die there." Airachnid said with a smile. "though, I admit, it was a close call. Too close for comfort."

"What are you planning?" she growled, preparing to attack. But then she realized she was wrapped in the webbing, unable to move.

"Me? Oh nothing really." She said innocently, as she showed Arcee a small disk-like object she was working on. "Just going to ensure you join me in a little game called… hunt."

"There's nothing to hunt for on this planet." Arcee snarled. Airachnid just laughed.

"Really? And what of these insects called 'hoo-mans'?" she asked mockingly. As Arcee saw the sadistic smiled on the 'Con's face, her optics widened even more. "I think they will prove to be most entertaining."

Airachnid finished working on the device and was planning on placing it on the cyber-ninja's helmet, when a call reached them. "Arcee!" the female Decepticon turned around to find a raven haired teen look at them. She hissed with a huge, predatory smile. Arcee could tell what was going through that head and struggled. Finally, she managed to free her servo by switching on her wrist blade in her servo and punched Airachnid, sending her face first into a small console. The electrocution wasn't great, but would keep her down for a while.

"What are you doing here, kid?!" Arcee scolded the boy, as he approached her and tried to help her get free. "You were supposed to stay in a safe place."

"And make sure you don't get back up?" Jack asked back. "No way. Not like this."

"Let me make this clear, kid. You shouldn't be here. Taking you on this mission was a mistake. You're a liability!" She said coldly. Her tone was so harsh anyone would step back, convinced.

But not Jack. "I don't believe you. I can see it in your optics." The teen said with confidence. This got Arcee by surprise. "You're afraid Arcee. We may not be on best terms. I can even openly say your stubborn and inconsiderate. But there anything positive I am willing to say on you… it's that you never let fear take the better of you!"

As of there was a trigger in his words, Arcee's mind travelled back in time again, to that time in her imprisonment.

**Flashback**

"_You are strong, Manualbot." Tyrantulas mockingly complimented her. "I was perhaps a little too gentle in your torture. But I think I know how to break you." He chuckled madly. He turned around to the door, which slide. Arcee, covered in scratches and leaking energon, looked towards the door, finding two Vehicons dragging someone. "Cuff him on the other side." he ordered. Arcee took a closer look at the dragged cybertronian. At it shocked her. The badly wounded prisoner, whose armor seemed nearly incinerated, was none other than Mirage._

"_What did you do to him?! ANSWER ME!" she roared._

"_Oh, nothing much, in comparison to what's to come." He answered. Arcee struggle again, wanting to rip out the insane 'Con's spark. "However, the good news is: I'm not the one who's going to toy with him." he stepped aside, a new figure appeared in the door way. The familiar build caught her attention. As well as the voice._

"_Hello, Arcee."_

"_Ransack?" Arcee asked, fearfully. "But… why?"_

"_We're at war, Arcee. And when you're at war, there will always be a genocide. So it is only logical you'd wanna do anything to survive. Even if it means switching to the winning team." She commented, slowly entering the cell. And to Arcee's horror, the silhouette of her friend's was slightly different._

"_Ransack. What happened to you?" the female scout asked._

"_Ransack is actually unfitting as of now." Tyrantulas commented, stepping aside for a smaller figure to be engulfed by the illuminating light. "I have perfected her in my image. Allow to introduce you: Airachnid."_

_As Airachnid revealed herself, Arcee's optics showed horror, anger and disappointment._

"_Now, my dear, show the witch how much of the Decepticon you really are." He addressed the now Decepticon femme before turning to Arcee. "Tell us what we want to know, witch."_

"_I-I don't know where the blaster is hidden now!" she answered, fearing the worst if she was to lie._

"_We shall see." Tyrantulas said, motioning towards Airachnid to do her job. The femme hissed with a smile and approached Mirage, who was now glaring at her._

"_Do your worst, 'Con." The young Autobot said, smirking._

"_No, please. Don't!" Arcee begged, again trying to get free. And then it happened. Tyrantulas Laughed maniacally as Airachnid stabbed Mirage with one of her additional limbs, spilling energon everywhere._

"_MIRAGE!"_

**Flashback end**

Arcee returned to reality, to see Jack still struggling with the webbing.

"You're right, kid. I AM afraid. Of you getting killed." She said. Jack looked at her with fear.

"My, you have such bad luck with partners, don't you, Arcee?" Airachnid commented, as she started getting up. "First Moonracer, then Mirage. And I just recently got the news about the passing of Cliffjumper. At some point you really have to ask yourself, little Arcee. Is it really them? Or is it you?" she smiled.

"Kid. She's just interested in hunting other species. And considering she's on Earth…"

"Humans." Realization hit Jack.

"Exactly. Which means YOU!" Arcee pointed out, as Jack was already backing away. "RUN!" she shouted, just as the teen took off. However, Airachnid wasn't chasing after him. instead, she reached back for the disk she made earlier and finally placed it on Arcee's forehead.

"Oh, I do love it when they run. It always warms my spark to see them struggle." She chuckled. "Don't get me wrong. I fully intend to get back for that day. But for now, you're going to be my little toy in hunting the little boy down."

She backed away from the Autobot and switched forms. Now Airachnid's body appeared more like that of a spider. Her three additional limbs turned into legs and were carrying her weight, as she climbed a small tower-like structure. "Like what I made? Now your whole body is mine to command. But even that pales in comparison to having you rip that little human to shreds." She said, typing in some commands. Then she pressed the activation button, as Arcee's mind begun to go wild.

"JACK!" was the last thing she shouted.

* * *

Jack was running like a madman. His whole body was aching. His throat was burning. Sweat was coming into his eyes. He almost tripped every few seconds. He wanted to look back, to see the distance between himself and the hunter. This was supposed to be a simple recon. And now his life was at danger. He was ducking after a few energy shots as he continued passing through the tall trees. To make things worse, he was being chased by…

A giant, humanoid form landed before him. Jack looked up to find his pursuer- Arcee. She aimed at the boy, who barely managed to jump aside, avoiding the blast. He continued to run. He ran as fast as he could, hoping to find a safe spot. But she was onto him, running rather slowly. She was about to grab him, when he suddenly jumped into a small cave, while the female Autobot tripped and fell. Jack took a few seconds to rest, to think.

"How did I end up in this mess?" he asked himself. He looked around, to find a small passage. He decided to follow it.

The path was all but pleasant. It was wet, icy water drops dripping onto him. Jack at times thought we got stuck. After about forty minutes or so he finally reached the exit. He looked around to make sure it was clear. He even looked up to be certain. He sighed in relief seeing no one was around. He walked a few steps and noticed something in the tree line.

It was a ranger station. He made his way there. But when he entered, there was no one inside. And judging by the looks of things, this building was abandoned for some time now. Jack turned to find the phone, but it was ripped off the wall. Damn it. So he was alone. With no way to call for back up, as the magnetic distortion was still jamming the signal. His guardian was trying to hunt him down and there was a Decepticon nearby. Scratch that- the worst part was he was in the forest. Jack leaned down the wall, as he started thinking.

"C'mon, Jack." He whispered to himself. "You've got I.Q. 300, man. That's about the only thing you know you can actually use against the spider. So think." He took a few more breathes. He quickly pulled out what he had in his waist pack and looked at it. Then he around what was in the small hut. And he smiled as he got the idea.

* * *

Arcee kept walking around the woods. Her purple optics were scanning the surroundings for the human teen. And what she could see, so could Airachnid, her puppet master. She was growling now in annoyance as she couldn't find the human brat. Where was he? How something so primitive and slow escape her. She commanded Arcee to transform and return. She waited for a long while before her puppet finally made it back, but was pleased to know her experiment worked.

"You know, Arcee?" she spoke to the Autobot, "Maybe I shouldn't have been so merciful. After all, it's your fault we ended up here."

**Flashback**

_Arcee was in a state of shock as she looked at the dead form of Mirage. She was unable to speak. Unable to register the sharp blade of Airachnid's limb nearing towards her optic._

_But this wasn't her end. A wall exploded. And three Autobots entered the cell. The Autobots she would later come to know as Cliffjumper, Bulkhead and Optimus (the Autobot second-in-command by now). Tyrantulas growled as his spider limbs aimed at the Autobots. But before he could open fire, his lower left servo got shot off. As he yelled in agony, his limbs fired toward the ceiling, causing the place to collapse. He noticed it._

"_Oh, oh. Time to take my leave." He whispered, transforming into a motorcycle-like van and driving off into a small tunnel that shut behind him. Airachnid was about to run herself, when the ruble fell onto her, burying her._

_The Autobots freed Arcee from the cuffs and dragged her. "I couldn't save him. I couldn't SAVE MY PARTNER!" she started, still in shock._

_Since then, she was badly hurt emotionally._

**End flashback**

"Fortunately, it was just the ceiling, not the whole prison block. And now…" she raised her servo, running her fingers along her face. "I get to claim my delayed prize." She hissed.

"Leave her alone, Decipticreep!" a familiar voice called. Airachnid turned around to find Jack standing by the control station. Airachnid smiled wickedly.

"My, my. So little Jack came out to play." She said in a mocking tone. Then she leaped towards the console and activate it. "Get him, Arcee." She commanded.

And the white femme charged towards the boy. Jack waited for a the right moment… and jumped aside. Arcee stopped in her tracks and leaped at the boy. Jack didn't had time to jump away and got caught. He was struggling against Arcee's grip. The teen noticed Airachnid's sinister smile, as he felt pressure increasing. He pulled out a flare and triggered it. Something shot out of it, blinding Arcee and electrocuting her head. Her body went limp as Jack fell on the ground, grimacing in pain. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

And judging by the look on the female Decepticon's face, it really wasn't a good idea. She growled furiously when her precious puppet wasn't moving. She roared and leaped towards the teen, was unable to move. Airachnid caught him in her servos and lifted him her face.

"That was very clever, Jack." She calmed down a bit. She was actually impressed with the boy's strategy. "You really impressed me. I think I might make you my pet instead."

"Sorry. You're not my type." Jack said, as he pulled off his right sleeve, revealing something Airachnid could best describe as a poorly made miniature rocket launcher. Jack aimed at her face at launched the projectile. It glued itself to her forehead, before flaring. Airachnid dropped the boy, rubbing her face. This time, Jack was prepared and landed in a way he could ran away as soon as he landed.

Airachnid managed to get rid of the flaring device and looked around for Jack, only to see no sign of him. It wasn't that he got far. Rather, whatever he hit her with, blinded her. The 'Con was seeing static or the cut and paused frame. "You're actually making this difficult, Jack. Good. I like it when my preys put up a good fight." She commented, making her way towards the console.

If she could see that clearly, she would see the young Darby opening a small gap in the station and putting in the gasoline canister. The wasn't lot of it. But he hope the improvised bomb would damage the console enough to free Arcee. He pulled used a flint to fire the piece of material he used for a fuse and ran as fast as he could. As but Airachnid spotted him shot her webbing. She managed to get his leg. Jack looked down and felt frightened. As Airachnid was about pass over the station. Explosion took place. It was weak, at first. But then a second one took place. And then a big one, strong enough to cause a shockwave that knocked Jack out. Though freeing him from the webbing, Jack knew his ankle was, while not truly twisted, injured. Plus, he had a headache. He tried to get up, but couldn't. he'd be lucky if he didn't had a concussion.

He managed to get up and tried walk back to the ranger station. It was hard and painful, but he managed to reach the hut. But before he could reach the door, his entire body was caught in a web. He couldn't look to find the familiar Decepticon glaring at him. She switched to her two-legged form and approached him with a sadistic look on her face.

"Now you really did it, Jack." She said. "I'm going to enjoy playing with you." She extended her bladed limb towards him. She was going to cut him into pieces, slowly and painfully. Jack closed his eyes, expecting the end.

"Sorry, Arcee." He whispered.

Airachnid was about to do it, when an engine roar caught her attention. She looked to find a motorcycle leap towards her, transforming into a familiar, though covered into dirt and burn marks, Autobot. She delivered the female Decepticon a powerful blow to the face, sending her flying. Airachnid struggled to get up, but only got another blow. "First one was for Moonracer. The last one was for Mirage." Arcee said. Airachnid tried to slash Arcee, but her limb was blocked and the Autobot delivered a blow to her midsection. "This one's for Cliffjumper. This one's for me!" she deliver an uppercut, stunning Airachnid for long enough. "And this one's for Jack!" she announced, delivering a kick to her chest. The kick was so powerful, Airachnid flew back, knocking down some trees. As the cloud of dust fell, the 'Con was lying unconscious. Arcee wanted nothing more than to finish her off for good.

However, she had her priority.

"Jack!" she called, with great concern. She ran over towards the teen, who was still caught in the web. She kneeled and pulled off the web. She didn't expect the boy to fall, but managed to catch him in her servo. She gently laid him down on the ground. "Are you okay?" she asked, as she saw the boy with his eyes closed. "C'mon, Jack, don't do this to me." No answer came. Sorrow appeared on her face. "Jack, I'm so sorry. After Cliffjumper's death… I didn't want a new partner." If she could, she would cry. "I… never should have… looked back. Come on. Say something!" she begged now.

"T-told you… I could… kick your aft…" Jack said weakly. Arcee was shocked at first. Then mad for what he said. But it quickly turned to joy now that she knew he would live. She smiled warmly when she saw his eyes open.

A loud roar caught her attention. When she turned around, she found Airachnid transformed into a cybetronian jet and taking off. Arcee tried to shoot her down, but couldn't hit her.

"Airachnid!" she growled, cradling Jack in her one servo. As the female Decepticon disappeared out of sight, she sighed. "So much for closure." She looked down in disappointment. Then she turned to look at Jack, who seemed to be on the edge of consciousness. "Are you okay, Jack?"

"I believe… bruises… is all I've… suffered..." he said, grunting a bit.

"I…" the femme started, but paused, feeling guilt and shame for what happened. "I'm sorry you had to face my demons today." Jack looked at her, as she laid him against the hut. Then a smile appeared on her face. "You were pretty fearless there, Jack."

The human chuckled a little. "Honestly… I was terrified." He said, looking to his side. Then back at his guardian. "Mostly for you."

Arcee couldn't help but show how warm she felt at these words. It felt like something she's been missing ever since that day. She reached for her comm-link. "Arcee to base. Requesting ground bridge." She said. She gazed at her human charge, who swapped away an approaching mosquito. She smirked. "Need to get my partner away from any oversized insect." She added.

If only she could see their faces now.

Jack had a smug smile on his face. "Partner, huh?"

"Junior partner. I can still pull ranks on you, Jack." Arcee specified. Then something got the teen's attention.

"What happened to the 'kid'?" he asked.

Arcee's optics widened in realization of that. She looked around, as if trying to come up with an excuse, that it was just a moment. Then she sighed in defeat. Why try and lie to him?

"Well, you really earned my respect, Jack." She answered. "To be honest, I owe you more than one."

Jack just smiled laughed slightly. "Good to know… I'm not such a pain." He said.

Arcee straightened herself. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes after what he said. It was true. She used to look at him like a pain in the gear at first. Later, when he returned with Jazz, he was just someone to help kill time. But now… who knows? Jack might prove to be a great partner.

**End**

* * *

**A.N.: Wow. I can't believe I manage to write this down in one day. I so thought I was gonna update later, yet here it is. And no, Combaticons have been mentioned, but I'm not gonna end up with this. Though, I'm not really sure whether or not to bring in combiners in season one. Anyway, see you next time.**

Cast:

**Tyrantulas**- Mark Hamill or Alec Willows (voice of Tarantulas)


	11. 10 Alpha Bravo

**-10-**

**Alpha Bravo**

**1977, South America**

The country was in the middle of civil war, fighting for power. That was more than a perfect situation for a small group of men in black suits and trench coats. They were the remnants of III Reign's military force- Reinblütigen. It used to be a special unit, tasked with dealing with the 'inferior species' within the borders of the Reign. However, by the fall of their power, Reinblütigen became one of the Nazi groups to escape Europe.

Now, these men were here, in South America, where they discovered strange readings. Those readings were strange, unlike anything on this planet. After a few weeks of mining, they finally uncovered something.

It was an alien ship, entirely gold-and-silver. Its design and technology was simply fascinating and highly advanced. Whatever it was, it would provide them the means to rebuild the Reign. Now they were in the middle of opening the entrance into that alien vessel, when their leader approached. He was an old, though tall man, who's coat fashioned some fur. He had a respirator on his face, breathing heavily. A monocle on one eye connected with a golden chain to the Nazi uniform of a high ranking officer went well with his clearly elderly appearance. The man observed the workers, the prisoners, working by the drills, while the troops were preparing the explosives.

While they were having their conversation, a group of men nearby were observing them.

"Can you make anything of what they're saying, Lennox?" one of the soldiers asked. The tall, muscular man looked at the one with the binoculars, who licked his upper lip before his black eyes locked on his comrade.

"They're going to detonate the explosives in five minutes." He answered. "And I think they don't give much of a care about their prisoners."

"Are you certain, Will?"

"100%, Commander Bishop."

"Then we gotta move, gentleman." A new voice came. The two turned to see the team leader. "Tonight Kana'ti favors us in this fight." The man revealed himself from the shadows, wearing a bit torn field uniform with an armband fashioned with three feathers.

"You're still into this mumbo jumbo nonsense, aren't you Jack?" Bishop asked.

"Don't make fun of my heritage, Leland. It is as much part of me as it was my fathers' and will be with my son and his children. But back to the matters at hand. Whatever the Nazi have found, they're not getting it. Spread out!" he ordered.

"Yes sir." Everyone saluted and moved.

The Reinblütigen men have just set the explosives. They were ready to detonate, but awaited for the signal fom their superior. "Herr Kommandant?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Sie kann zünden, Offizier." The commander spoke. But before the detonation triggered, the officer got shot. Everyone looked behind to find themselves under attack. The men in black coats tried to counter attack or at least defend. However, they got overpowered easily due to the snipers as well as poor cover. The commander tried to hide within the cave, but Bishop tackled him from his right. The American thought he had the upper hand due to the German ex-officer being an old man, but that had proven to be a mistake. The commander punched him in the face, knocking him off. Then he pulled out a knife at cut Bishop across the face, just under his eyes. The man held his face in pain for long enough for the elderly militant to knee him in the gut and then deliver an elbow to the back. Leland looked up, to find the commander pull out a pistol and aim at his face. His eyes widened in terror. Then he shut them in fear, expecting his demise. The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the jungle.

Luckily, Leland opened his eyes, finding himself still alive. He looked up to find the commander shot. The elderly man fell on his back, barely breathing. But before the American soldier could move, he heard the commander speak his final words.

"You… feerh… mortalitee…? Gohd-hood… awaits… beheind… theeze… do-oo-orz… Bring… per-fek-sion…" he finally passed.

Leland eyed the dead man for a moment, before he heard a cough from behind. He turned to find his superior approach him. "Are you okay, Bishop?" he asked, reaching out his hand, offering his help.

"I'm fine, Captain Darby." The man answered, accepting the help. "Anyway, Jack, is this what you meant by your spirits favoring us tonight?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Hey, my ten-year-old son is fond of our people's legacy." Jack answered. "So I say: indeed."

"Good one, Captain. Good one." Bishop said, running his hand across his wounded face, as Darby turned to the other commandos. His smile faded, replaced by anger and frustration. Then he turned to the corpse of the dead commander, recalling his final words. Before he could think deeper into this, he heard someone call.

"Sir! You gotta see this!" Lennox called. Both Captain Darby and Bishop approached him, just to look at the alien vessel. Bishop ran his hand across the surprisingly smooth surface, deeply intrigued by the discovery. And before anyone knew, some of the boulders collapsed, revealing a huge hole in the structure. The men approached their entrance. But before they dared enter, Darby turned to the soldier with a radio set.

"Contact the HQ!" he ordered. "Report the situation and tell them we found some vessel of unknown origin!"

The soldier nodded, as the three men entered the vessel. After a long walk through the hall ways of this magnificent machine, which was obviously of alien origin, the group found themselves within a huge, spacious room. But something felt weird. As they looked around some more, they noticed a giant, red-and-blue mechanical man leaning against some kind of a giant, highly advanced super computer.

"What do you make out of this, captain?" Lennox asked, still at awe, unable to take his eyes off the immobile giant.

"It's… it's just…" the man tried to speak, but couldn't say a word. It was Bishop who finished the sentence for him, though with an enigmatic smile forming.

"Beautiful." He whispered.

* * *

**Present, Autobot Base**

"That'll do it." Miko said when she finished her drawing. The kids were working on the report for history class, with their respective guardians 'supervising' them. As the matter of fact, the Japanese exchange student chose to make a report on her home country. Or to be more precise- Tokyo. Right now she was adding a drawing of a samurai to her report. As Jack recalled, there was something in the Japanese folklore about a samurai and naming the city. But he shrugged. "Whaddaya think, Jack? Cool, huh?" Miko asked.

"You know, Miko, the samurai in a cybernetic armor is hardly matching for a warrior who valued honor above all in the past." Jack commented deadpanned, merely raising an eyebrow.

"Says the guy who makes some weird things out of feathers and strings." The punkish girl replied.

"This, Miko, is a dreamcatcher." The raven-haired boy said in a scolding tone. "A charm which is to catch the bad dreams and allow only the good ones to come. My grandfather used to teach me a lot about them."

"Bah, must've been a wild west fan boy."

"Your grandfather taught you about these charms?" Arcee asked with interest. "For what purpose?"

"My family, from father's part, descends from the Shoshone, the Native Americans. Grandpa believed I should learn about my heritage."

"W-what happened to him?" Raf, who was making a report on Mexico, asked hesitantly.

"He passed away last year." Jack answered. He tried not to show it, but Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee caught the tone of grieve in his voice.

Before anyone could say anything more, the alarm sounded, getting everyone's attention. The Bots gestured for their charges to stay and work on their projects, but the kids still made their way into the command room. Once there, they saw all the Bots' in front of the largest screen, on which the images of two men appeared. The one to the right was Agent Fowler. However, the man on the left was a stranger to the kids. They could only tell he was in his middle or late thirties.

"_Prime, we've got a situation here_." Fowler spoke. "_About an hour ago, one of our facilities in Alaska has been assaulted. Whoever attacked hasn't exited yet, but they too well fortified and armed for us alone to take them_."

"Decepticons?" Ironhide asked, as he pulled out his shotgun. A sadistic smile appeared on his face, disturbing the humans.

"_This is a surprise, big guy_." The other man answered. "_You'd expect to find a bear messing with your trash and yet you find a raccoon family tango with the gnomes_."

"_Agent Simmons, please. But he's right. It's not the Decepticons. However these guys seem to know what they're after_."

Ratchet grunted under his breath. "I highly doubt anything in that facility of yours could be of our concern." He said plainly, choosing to ignore Prime's look.

"Just _so happens that this facility is where we're keeping that Teletraan 1 of yours, Doc_." Simmons said in a matter-fact manner, causing the medic's optics to widen.

"Why do you keep talking?" Ratchet nearly yelled. "Whoever's attacking the facility seems to know what they're after and you're keeping us from acting!"

"_I'm sending you the coordinates now. May the Force be with you_." Simmons said, before he disconnected, leaving Fowler.

"_One more thing, Prime. I know you don't want any humans involved. But given these are humans who are trying to take away your tech, I think you will need at least some support_."

"Do you suspect someone familiar with us?" Optimus asked.

"_I'm having Special Agent Simmons see into it, but it's no coincidence. I mean, yesterday the higher-ups came to a decision to give you back at least some of the equipment that belongs to you. Meaning that the thieves must be acting more out of desperation to act a bit reckless, no matter how professional they try to keep it_."

Surprisingly, Optimus appeared to be in deep thought upon this share of information. "I believe to have my suspicions, Special Agent Fowler. We shall deal with the matter."

"_Hope we won't get a repeat from the Gulf War in the 90's. Fowler out_." The man disconnected. Before orders could be given however, the kids made their presence known.

"You've been a part of the Gulf War?" Jack asked, who was coming so fast, Miko and Raf had to support him. After the incident in Yellowstone with Airachnid, it turned out that the teen injured his ankle and would need support for a few days. "I thought you said you've come online just recently."

"Yeah. What gives, Optimus?" Miko joint Jack in his suspicions. "Don't you trust us?"

"That's not the issue, Miko." Bulkhead, who showed hurt and guilt in his optics, spoke. It's a little more complicated.

"Now's not the time, bakayaro, koroyaro." Jazz said with authority. "We've got more important issues at hand. Optimus, we should divide into two groups. Should the situation be more serious than it appears, at least we'll know what to expect."

"Good thinking, old friend." the Prime said, facing the Autobots. "Arcee, Ironhide, Bumblebee! You stay here with Jazz. Bulkhead and Hot Ride are with me."

Everyone nodded. Optimus and his team approached the groundbridge and the second it activated, the Bots converted into their vehicle modes and entered the vortex. When they exited, the Cybertronians found themselves looking at the group of soldiers taking cover. They were being attacked by three huge, bipedal machines, which looked like horse heads. Hot Ride just aimed with his blasters and fired, easily hitting the targets.

But before the team could say anything, two of the mechs stood up and fired at the Autobots, surprisingly pushing them back. Having enough of that, the soldier retracted a blade, the blade of with acted like a chainsaw, and leaped at the robots, cutting them in half. Optimus and Bulkhead looked around to find there were no more of these machines nearby. The Prime and his big friend approached Hot Ride, who finally sheathed his blade, turning to face his leader.

"Well this is new." Hot Ride commented.

"Hot Ride. While I can compliment your bravery, your quick thinking was more of an act of recklessness." Optimus spoke with a strong voice. "These things could be manned."

"Fortunately they aren't." the soldier said, kicking one of the drones. Bulkhead approached one of the drones took a closer look. His face became grim after a few seconds.

"Strange… This thing is rather advanced for humans." He commented. Optimus, intrigued, approached the hulk and examined the drones' remains himself, before activating his comm.-link.

"Ratchet. We have a strange discovery here." The Prime said. "It's primitive, but appears…"

"Um… Optimus?" Hot Ride caught the leader's attention. "I don't want to interrupt, but…" he pointed at the warehouse with the blasted doors. Soon enough, five more of these drones came into few. The Autobots were ready to open fire, but then they noticed humans green suits following them, armed and securing a large metallic crate. The group stopped upon finding the confused Cybertronians standing by the entrance. Everyone suddenly aimed at them, while one of the men seemed to be contacting someone. The Autobots armed themselves and prepared for battle, which began. The humans and their drones opened fire, forcing the three to back away. Hot Ride, however, did not seem happy about that. He aimed his blasters and charged at the group, letting out a battle cry.

Optimus saw this. "Hot Ride! Pull back!" he ordered. But the red giant's words came out too late. Hot Ride was a proud warrior, who would not back down easily. However, it was not that that brought trouble upon him. No, it was a powerful blast from above. Optimus and Bulkhead were surprised and confused. Their optics widened as they watched the scarlet warrior helplessly rolling on the ground. Finally, the two looked up to find at least five helicopters, one for heavy cargo transportation, above. All of them were green in color and fashioned a strange M-shaped insignia on it. The choppers joined the ground forces as they opened fire, pushing the Autobots back. The Bots hid, trying to take a glance at what's happening. Sure, they could call for back up. But Optimus preferred not to. Then again, this was a situation. He decided to take one last look, and noticed something. One of the men was staring at him. It was not a look of shock and surprise. That man, who was wearing a full-body protective suit, like his men but under a black coat, stared at the Prime like he knew him. The scar-faced man narrowed his eye brows even more, before turning to the pilot. Optimus could not make what they were saying.

However, there was something familiar about that human.

At that moment, some military vehicles arrived. The soldiers wanted to open fire, but the drones were faster and, apparently, smarter than the humans. The machines opened fire, covering their humans and the cargo. Optimus watched as Agent Fowler, who was with the military, approached one of the choppers, making a call.

"Simmons! Can you keep track of these guys?" he asked loudly.

"_They're masking their signals! They know what they are doing! But finding a King Kong climbing Empire State Building is harder!_" Simmons answered. Suddenly his voice turned grim. "_Wait a minute! They're hacking our communication frequencies…_"

"_Greetings, Special Agent_." a deep, cold baritone spoke. Fowler's eyes widened. "_Who am I talking to right now?_"

"This is Special Agent William Fowler. Identify yourself!" he demanded.

"_Colonel Leland Bishop. But you may call me Silas_." The man answered with a called, though somehow proud tone, causing the federal agent to shiver.

"You mean THE Colonel Leland Bishop? That can't be! You're retired!"

Silas simply chuckled. "_Who do you take me for? A weakling, who will simply lie down and die?_"

"Tell me this, 'Silas'…" Agent Simmons got on line, "What's the price on the black market for the technology that you can't figure out how to operate without a manual? Wait, scratch that. Who in America reads a manual?"

"_Who said I'm stealing this tech to sell it?_" he paused, as the agents had a questioning look on their faces. "_We are facing a crucial point in man's history, Agent Fowler. Since civilization began to develop, humanity seized to evolve. We gain greater knowledge, but we loose our physical strengths. Hitler believed himself to be a superior being, failing to acknowledge he simply suffered superiority and god complexes, therefore becoming a symbol of racism. But with this alien tech I will be able to bring a new order. To ascent humanity to the new level of evolution with discarded for who knows what!_"

"You're insane, colonel? Is that old brain of your already half dead in that eighty-years-old body or what?" Fowler asked, looking at Optimus, who called for back up. While Bulkhead was attending to Hot Ride, Jazz and his team, in vehicle modes, ran out from behind a warehouse and were now following the culprits. "You want to tell me you joined the Nazi or something?"

"_Do not be insolent! I am the leader of the Mechanics of Evolution and Cybernation of Humanity, M.E.C.H. Our goal, Agent Fowler, is to improve humanity by whatever means necessary. And our alien friends here gave us the means back in 1977 when we discovered them. Too bad that Shaman, Captain Darby, was too stubborn to get it._" He finished, cutting off.

"You're insane." Fowler said. His eye brows narrowed as he tightened his grip on the communication device.

"Agent Fowler, do not underestimate that man." Optimus, who was following him to the chopper, said. As the man was about to get onboard, Optimus continued. "Megatron was a great war hero, one to whom all of Cybertron looked up to. But when he returned as the warlord we know now, some of our greatest warrior looked down at him. And that became their downfall."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to look at him like a savior of humanity?" the federal agent asked sarcastically.

"No, Agent Fowler. I am merely warning you not to underestimate him just because the hero turned into the very enemy he once fought."

"Noted. Now if you'll excuse me." William Fowler said, as the chopper took off, following the M.E.C.H. Optimus had a bad feeling about this and activated his comm.-link, hoping the other team was making progress.

"Optimus to Team Silver. Jazz, how is your team performing?"

"_Well… yeah, about that, Fearless Leader. I've got some bad news. And the worse news_." Jazz reported through the channel. Little to say that the Prime was confused.

"What is the bad news, old friend?" he asked.

"_These guys are seriously well armed. Bumblebee got hit with one of those and is already in need of an emergency groundbridging to base_."

This revelation shock Optimus. How was it that these humans had the weapon advanced enough to cause them harm to that degree? But wait. If this was just the bad news…

"And what is the worse news?" the red titan asked… hesitantly.

"_The worse news is that we're picking up Decepticons incoming_." Jazz reported, with a surprisingly bored tone.

"I am on my way!" Optimus said after he got a nod from Bulkhead that he can handle Hot Ride. The Prime ran on, hoping he can reach his friends before the Decepticons reach them. As fear of the fact grew, he transformed and rolled out.

* * *

**With Team Jazz**

The Bots kept dodging the incoming shots, which wasn't really easy. It was bad enough Bumblebee got shot. They just couldn't afford to get more of their players out of the game. And Ironhide had the hardest time considering his massive size. After all, his vehicle mode was a bison armoured personnel carrier. However, sergeant was able to dodge the shots. But fate seemed to be toying with them when Ratchet reported Decepticons incoming. Arcee was certainly beyond irritated, while Ironhide was growling. Jazz merely sighed, keeping his iconic cool. After Jazz reported the situation to Optimus, the trio decided to simply follow the chopper for now since they couldn't take cover anyway. After all, there was nothing to hide behind here. One of the bullets finally hit Ironhide. It didn't hit him directly, but it did force him to slow down and transform, causing the two cyber-ninja to stop.

"Ironhide. You okay, sergeant?" Jazz asked. As the ex-Con nodded, they heard the Decepticon squadron incoming. Despite the pain, Ironhide stood up and armed himself, as Jazz pulled out his uzi-like blaster. "Arcee. Get the device back from those creeps." He ordered.

The femme was not only displeased about leaving the two. She was shocked. "But, Commander, I mean Lieutenant…"

"No time, 'Cee. Given your size and agility, you're the best choice. Now go!"

Arcee didn't want to go. She preferred not to. Then again, Jazz was right. She had to go and retrieve the device. If this meant they could gain in this war against the 'Cons, then she would succeed. She ran in the direction of the choppers, but stopped for a second. "Jazz!" She called, getting his attention. "Should anything happen, given the circumstances…" she paused, calming down. Them she spoke "Krossh'mha dormma unicorn thi'dhalledha."

Jazz smiled at her and replied, also in the alien language: "Rodimus a'ah rahakhala lha."

Arcee nodded with a smile and returned to the pursuit. In the mean time, Jazz and Ironhide aimed at the incoming Decepticon flyers.

Arcee was racing mad, trying to close the distance, and avoiding the blasts. She was able to dodge them surprisingly easy, but still had no idea on how to reach the crate. She contacted Special Simmons about that, who was clearly working on it.

"I got it, my shining valkyrie." The agent said. "In about two kilometers there's a canyon. You could either use the cliff as a ramp or just blast the blasted helicopter down into the river."

"Isn't there any better option?" she asked.

"I'll see into it, but I don't…" he was suddenly cut off.

"Agent Simmons? Hello? Simmons? Answer me you paranoid, caffeine-addicted fleshy!" she growled. Finally she gave up, coming to a conclusion the M.E.C.H. must be jamming the communication.

* * *

**Autobot HQ**

"I don't believe it." Ratchet spoke in an annoyed tone, as the children watched. "These humans managed to cut off Agent Simmons. Now she's on her own against these thieves. Bulkhead, get back there and provide back up." He said to the green giant, who laid Bumblebee on the berth. As the CR chamber was too small for two, the scout would have to wait until Hot Ride was done. Bulkhead raced through the vortex, as the medic returned to the console.

"Maybe I could try and hack them?" Raf suggested, plugging his laptop. Of course, before he could even begin, Ratchet let him know his opinion.

"Yip, yip, yip. This is not a game, boy." he said. "It is a highly complex..."

"The firewall's thick." Raf reported, interrupting the medic. "I can hack their system, but it'll take me too long."

"Told you it's an complex thing." Ratchet said. Jack simply shook his head as he sighed.

"Maybe it'd be easier if you'd actually helped him instead of acting all high and mighty, Doc-bot." Miko commented.

Ratchet seemed ready to scold her, but paused as he realized she was right. so instead of saying anything he turned to the terminal and began working with the preteen.

* * *

**With M.E.C.H.**

The men kept shooting at the lone motorcycle, at least to keep her away. pretty soon they would be too far for her to pursue, but wouldn't give her a chance. Silas smiled as he observed the situation. He injected himself some red glowing substance the second he felt discomfort, and what strange features appeared on his face disappeared, making him breath in the air as if he regained his youth.

"Sir, we've got a situation, Sir!" one of the pilots reported.

"What is it, pilot?" he asked.

"Some hacker's using the channel we used to cut Agent Simmons off. They'll be in the system anytime now."

At the sound of that, the colonel would have snarled, but kept his stone face. "Deal with it."

"Yes Sir!" the pilot nodded and typed in some command. "Done."

* * *

**Autobot HQ**

Raf and Ratchet worked at their top speed. Finally, they were about to hack the M.E.C.H. system. once in, they would be able to mess their plans and recover what equipment they've stolen. But their luck seemed to run out when the monitor flashed and showed an image of an bomb about to explode. The preteen's eyes and Autobot medic's optics widened in shock.

"Oh no. They're planning to delete our software with a virus." Ratchet stated.

"We can't be rid of it in time!" Raf panicked.

No one noticed as Jack ran up to another terminal and began typing something. Now he was grateful for his ridiculous intellect. he would return M.E.C.H. the favor. Before the clock on the 'bomb' could reach zero... it disappeared. Both Raf and Ratchet were confused the most, whilst Miko simply wondered.

"Um... what did you guys do?" she asked.

"It wasn't us. I think." The Medical Officer confessed. "Somehow that virus returned to them."

"But how?" Raf asked, just as confused.

"Um... guys." Jack got their attention. "How about we return to the matter at hand?"

The two nodded, suddenly remembering what were they doing earlier.

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

Silas decided he had enough of it, when he saw the military shoppers in pursuit. he was simply tired of it. First the alien robots and now the US Army. Who'd be next? Santa Clause? The Avengers? No, it was about time to let these people now how short his patience was by now. "Gentlemen. It's about time to vanish." he said. "Activate the thrusters!"

"But Sir... we might lose the cargo!" one of the men spoke. "The carrier is just not fit for acceleration while transporting something."

"Thank you for the opinion, Lincoln." Silas said, pulling out a gun and shooting the poor man. Everyone tensed at it. "Anyone else wants to point out something?"

"Sir!" the pilot spoke. "The virus has just returned. And it's about to..."

The poor man didn't manage to finish, as the whole thing suddenly shut down. The helicopter Silas was onboard of suddenly began to lose altitude. Arcee wanted to follow it, but decided to stay with the cargo. it was far too important. Fowler on the other hand decided to capture the man.

The femme was closing in to the cliff. now should she transform and try shooting the cable holding the metallic crate? Or should she try and jump? well, she couldn't do the latter, so she would have to hope her aim was good enough.

Yet it seemed unnecessary. The helicopter suddenly started to land. the other M.E.C.H. choppers seemed unwilling to let go of the prize, yet the military made them call it a quits.

* * *

Fowler's chopper lowered to get a better look at the lone M.E.C.H. chopper. It was disabled. The African American narrowed his eyes, as he watched three people come out. one of them was not wearing a mask, like the others. However, his uniform appeared more armor-like in comparison, with red lights fashioning it. Fowler eyed the white haired man more carefully, recognizing the scars and the features. still, something shocked him. Silas should be far older.

Instead, he had the appearance of someone in his late thirties, not mid-late seventies.

"Impossible..." Agent Fowler murmured to himself. He was so shocked, he failed to notice Bishop pull out a rocket launcher and firing it at the Agents vehicle. the only thing the federal agent could do was allow the projectile hit the tail, causing the chopper to fall. The M.E.C.H. were ready to deal with Fowler, when they heard a horn. they looked to find a red Peterbilt 386 incoming. The leader finally snarled.

"Retreat!" he ordered. The men ran as fast as possible, disappearing in the nearby forest. Meanwhile Optimus transformed and caught Agent Fowler's chopper.

"Thanks, Prime." Agent Fowler said, calming down. "I owe you big time."

"It was my pleasure, Special Agent Fowler." Optimus spoke, setting the chopper on the ground. Then he reached to his comm-link. "Jazz? What is the situation on your end?"

"_Fortunately it was just the Vehicons, O.P._" Jazz reported. "_There are no serious damage done to us._"

"Understood. And the cargo?"

"_The cargo is secured, Optimus_." Arcee reported. "_Though I wonder why they let it go._"

"You can thank us when you're all back." Ratchet answered.

* * *

**Autobot HQ**

A few hours passed before the Bots got the cargo into the base. The reason was they need to make sure it was safe. Then, despite their size and strength, they still needed some heavy lifting. And that required them all to get repaired.

Now, at long last, the cargo was in their base. The Autobots were beyond grateful to Fowler when they heard they could keep whatever was inside. As it would turn out, it was their computer- Teletraan I. Ratchet, of all Cybertronians, was joyful. With this their work would now be far easier. Still, the attack of the Decepticons' bothered Optimus and Jazz, though the latter wouldn't really show to bother with it.

"So who do you suspect?" Jack asked Optimus, who turned to the teen in confusion.

"Excuse me?" Optimus asked.

"I can already tell, Optimus." Jack said, quietly enough only for Optimus to hear. "The Decepticon attack was no coincidence. You suspect or already know there's a spy in your ranks."

the red titan didn't answer at first. he looked around, to see nobody took notice of them. He kneeled down to Jack's level. "The only question, Jackson, is who."

"Hey, Ratchet!" Bulkhead called, getting everyone's attention. "We had four cubes onboard, didn't we?" the green giant asked, lifting a metallic cube in his servo.

"What's special about a cube?" Miko asked.

"The Cube is a special storage device containing the basic schematic of our CNA." Arcee answered. Seeing the confusion on the transfer student's face, she continued. "It's like a container for the basis of our DNA. Without those, the protoforms can take even decades or centuries to build."

"And protoform would be..?" Raf asked.

"Like your baby, in a sense. Though more accurately a form-free, mostly sparkless body to which we can transfer the spark, should a body be damaged beyond repair." Ratchet explained as simple as possible.

"The thing is... We had four of those when we left Cybertron." Bulkhead continued. "There are only three here. And two of them are damaged beyond repair."

"By the Matrix. Just when I thought things have gotten better." Ratchet sighed, analyzing the last Cube. He frowned. "This one is damaged as well. I won't risk repairing it will completely destroy it. But it can still be used- once or twice."

"The question still remains." Jazz pointed out. "Was the fourth Cube destroyed or...?"

"Taken by someone?" Optimus finished as a grim thought ran through his processor.

* * *

**M.E.C.H. HQ**

Silas sit in the chair, watching the monitor before him. the stream of data flowing upwards and several cables and tubes plugged into his suit were pumping blood, the red liquid and charging his suit. His face remained cold, yet inside he was boiling. he wanted that thing, yet the Autobots stopped him. He would have do things differently. the monitor finally flashed the camera footage from the base, and he froze it to take a better look at Optimus' form.

Then the door opened and a shadowy figure entered. "Sir! I bring report on the subprojects!" the man reported.

"Which are nearest to completion?" Silas asked.

"Project DYNO is about finish. But Project Chimera is entering the final test run."

"Excellent." Silas smirked, as the footage minimized, allowing the man to see a file signed Project: Übermensch, which then unfolded. There was one project name, titled 'Main Project', signed as 'On hold'. then the two, which were the mentioned projects. "You may leave." he dismissed his subordinate, focusing on the file. He pressed the button on his desk, and turned towards the wall behind him, which was now opening. as it opened, the man smiled watching something he managed to steal from that alien ship back in 1977. it wasn't easy with civil war back there and his friends watching him, but it paid off.

He still had that alien cube to his disposal. And he would achieve his goal.

It was only a matter of time.

**END**

* * *

**A.N.: Sorry it took so long. The thing is, my computer got broken. And to make matters worse, this chapter got lost with all the data. On the other hand, it gave me the opportunity to rewrite the chapter to take the more original approach. So yeah, now we've got M.E.C.H. enter the stage. And they have a bit of a bigger role here. Sorry, but that's all I'm gonna tell about it. Anyway, as for the next two chapters, which would you like first. I got one focused more on 'Speed metal' (which I surprisingly like) and one focusing more on the humans themselves (yeah, planning to reduce the Autobot role in that one). give me your opinions and review. Maybe you have some ideas I could use. Anyway, see ya, meatbags!**


	12. 11 Field trip

**-11-**

**Field trip**

The rising sun was always a nice few. There was always something in it. The rays turning the sky from black to scarlet, then gold and slowly blue, giving warmth in the face of any living creature facing the east. It was also the beginning of a new day, basically.

Speaking of faces, Jack took a deep breath while facing the rising sun with his eyes closed. Normally he would smile. He always did whenever out in the morning and having his face hit by sunlight. But not today. No, he was rather in a bad mood. This was supposed to be nice camping trip in the wilds. He looked at the scenery of Nevada National Forest, taking in the beautiful green sight. The raven haired teen stretched, wearing a white tank top, green cargo shorts and black-and-white sneakers. Then he heard a grunt.

Turning to his left he found the source. Miko, who had her hair down rather than in her famous pigtails and ponytail. The girl was wearing also a different attire- namely a blue top with a logo of her favorite band, black jorts and sandals. She was doing some stretching exercises with a frown. Unsurprising really, as Jack questioned why did she bother coming. He did warn her and Raf he's just taking the weekend out camping. Of course Miko, being Miko, insisted to come, probably hoping to get some action. Speaking of the preteen, he was just getting out of the tent, rubbing his sleepy eyes. Raf just wore an orange T-shirt instead of his usual shirt and vest. But that was the only difference in his wear. If Jack had to guess, he would say the boy had a limited variety of clothes.

He gazed back at the landscape, wondering. He recalled earlier, way earlier, when he mentioned at home he's going camping. Kelly didn't like the sound of that and kept telling her baby brother to stay. The two had an argument so rough that Arcee, who was in the garage, was considering interfering. It she would if it wasn't for the fact that the planet natives seized. Jack mentioned something that calmed his sister enough to approve of the trip. However the Bots were a bit reluctant to let the boy go.

Jack mentioned how he planned camping at the base. And things were not so he expected. Optimus was against it, claiming that the Decepticons were keeping their optics out for him. Jazz, however, claimed that their protection shouldn't limit his life activities. The Bots then entered into a rather comical argument. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were supporting Optimus, while Hot Ride and, surprisingly, Ratchet were with Jazz. Arcee seemed rather hesitant on the matter, while Ironhide could care less. Then Miko added her two cents, stating how it would be nice to go camping, though she was just hoping to run into some Cybertronian fight. Raf simply stayed out of it. Long story short, the result... The Guardians, as Ironhide named the three, were to accompany them. Bee and Bulk stated it might be fun, though the two-wheeler agreed only when Hot Ride suggested it might be a good way to learn more about the humans in their 'originally' natural environment. Some were still surprised to learn how humans evolved from apes- the huge monkeys as sergeant called them.

And now, here Jack was. He wanted to be left alone, yet ended up not only with Miko and Raf, who were bored and having allergies, respectfully, but also with their guardians. Fortunately, the first night barely ended and the Bots already had to return to base. Now it was just him, Raf and Miko.

Speaking of devil, he turned around to find her stretching with her arms high. She then bend down. "Like the view, Jack?" she asked, noticing from her position he was looking at her behind. The teen quickly realized what she was referring to and turned from her, blushing a bit.

"It's... so quiet out here and green. So yeah, I like it." He tried to convince her, though he knew she wouldn't buy it.

"Oh, c'mon, Jack-kun." She spoke in a teasing manner, walking over to him. "You can't fool me. After all, you won't get to see another attractive girl showing you her nice body." She grinned mischievously, trying to play with the teen's hormonal side.

Jack merely groaned. It wasn't that he was an idiot or not into girls. But Miko was, well... too wild to say the least. But the Japanese exchange student wouldn't let go and kept bothering the raven haired teen. "Good morning. W-what's going on here?" Raf asked, who apparently got woken up by the two.

"Jack is just trying to strip me with his gaze." Miko answered.

"For the last time! AM! NOT!" Jack growled, nearly screaming, and only making Miko giggle. She was having fun.

* * *

Unknown to the trio, however, two similar jets flew somewhere above the forest. Finally, both machines dived and one seemed to crash into another. However, they did not explode. For the two had to merge in order to form a single, hulking Decepticon- Genocide. A Cybertronian of colossal size with rather feral attitude and even more so vocabulary. The giant landed in the clearing by the lake, creating a small crater. As dust cleared, he looked around, growling, as if expecting someone.

"You're late." A voice came from the forest and a military vehicle came out, transforming into a Decepticon hunter. "Barricade's been waiting for you for two minutes. Why didn't you just use the groundbridge?"

Genocide roared angrily at him, ready to punch. However he stopped himself. No, he wouldn't strike. He had his orders. He backed away. Barricade remained unfazed the whole time. Then the feral giant growled and grunted something. "Barricade has been following the convoys around here for two years. So of course Barricade's certain it's around here somewhere. Barricade was simply unlucky in learning the exact location. But did manage to narrow it down." He said, projecting a holographic image of the area. Genocide nodded and moved, understanding what to do. They had a lot of ground to cover.

* * *

It was not that the kids had no food. In fact, Raf and Miko had quite a lot. But Jack wanted to go fishing and gather some berries. Little to say Raf was barely keeping up as his allergies were becoming an annoyance. But Miko was just complaining every minute of the walk.

"Are we there yet?" she asked.

"No." was Jack's answer.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we...?" she stopped upon hearing a rustle in the bushes. The trio stood their ground, uncertain of what to do. Jack gestured them to stay behind and approached. He took a deep breath, trying to put fear aside. He was sweating hard, shivering. But he jumped into the bushes anyway. He caught something by the throat and pressed it against the tree. Finally the teen calmed down enough to take a closer look. To his surprise it was not an animal. It was...

"Terry?"

"Jacky?"

Time seemed to froze, before the raven haired teen finally released his friend. The two chuckled high fived. "What were you thinking? We were supposed to meet yesterday." Jack scolded him.

"You kidding? I told you I'll meet with you in the morning." The taller of the two informed. Jack must've forgotten about it. As he remembered, he face palmed himself.

"So, it's not a bear or a puma, is it?" Raf asked, imitating Miko, much to her humor.

"Seriously, you two?" Terry commented. "Am I anywhere as hairy as a bear?" he joked.

"Well, you're big enough." Miko joked, commenting on the dread head's tall and muscular posture. "So, how long have you been here?"

Terry just shrugged. "A couple of hours. Why?"

"No reason. Just curious."

"Anyway..." Jack decided to get back to things at hand. "Going fishing?"

"You bet, Jacky." Terry agreed, causing Miko to moan. Then he heard Raf's sneezing. "Are you alright, umm... Raf was it?"

"Just allergies." The preteen answered. "But I took my medicine. I should be better any moment now."

The four then moved out towards the lake, which was fortunately just behind a bush. However, before they got a chance to start, Raf pointed at something. "Hey, what's that?" he asked.

What they saw, was something metallic under a huge boulder. The kids approached it carefully. After all, who knows what could it be. Better save then sorry, right? Of course they could just leave it be. But what if someone else found it and decided to check it. What if it was a bomb. Jack reached for the phone. "Better let the authorities know."

"Dude, seriously?" Miko asked. "Why bother them? What if it's 'their' device?" Jack didn't miss the 'their'. He understood what she was implying. But with Terry here, he couldn't just call the Bots.

"Well, the sheriff is a better option at the moment than none." He reasoned typing the number. However, the teen showed confusion after a second. "That's strange. The signal just disappeared."

"Hold it!" someone called, surprising the kids. And soon they found themselves surrounded by dozen of soldiers, pointing their rifles at them. Jack pulled Raf behind himself, whilst Terry was holding Miko, who seemed to try attacking the soldiers. After a few seconds, they saw a familiar face coming out from the crowd.

"Kids? What are you doing here on military property?" Agent Fowler asked.

"Military property?" Raf asked, peeking out from behind Jack. "But... aren't they usually surrounded by a chain link fence and barbed wire?"

"Agent Fowler. The kids are onto us anyway. We should take them in." One of the soldiers suggested.

"Are you nuts, Major Talbot? They're just kids."

"They entered a military property. According to protocols: Anyone to enter this facility's grounds must be taken in."

"You're not seriously considering them to be some kind of spies, do you?" Fowler nearly shouted in disbelieve.

"I am not risking after what Colonel Bishop pulled off. Or better yet, how Dr. Banner had his friend, Jones, and General Ross' daughter steal the data for his gamma radiation experiments. Take them in!" he gave out his final order. And all four of the kids got handcuffed and lead by the group.

Unknown to them, on the other shore, to two Decepticons, one with two optics, and the other, bigger one, with three, were watching them. "Genocide, Barricade believes that the search is nearly over." The shorter one said, causing the giant to growl with a smile.

* * *

**Inside the base**

Since it was a _**secret**_ military base- though the kids didn't had to know the secret part- their eyes were covered. The pieces of clothing were removed from their eyes only once they were in a hallway, entering a huge room with no windows and a single desk in the middle. Raf was rather scared. Miko was frowning, willing to give these people a piece of her mind. Terry and Jack seemed to be calm, though the latter was looking around a bit, thinking.

"Where do you think they're keeping us?" the genius preteen asked.

"Who cares? I just wish our guardians were here." Miko said angrily. Then she looked at the door, where Agent Fowler appeared.

"Okay kids. You don't have to be afraid. We're just going to learn what you know and..." he started, when Jack spoke.

"Seriously?" he snorted. "This is a secret facility, out of sight, though clearly poorly camouflaged. You dragged us into some facility 200 meters underground because some paranoid major ordered to take us in. And even if we were to turn out to know nothing, be just a bunch of kids who accidently found one of your mines or entrances, he'd still order us imprisoned. Just to be sure we stay silent." He looked at the agent, whose jaw hit the floor. Then he looked at his friends, who were also dumbstruck to hear this. Especially how he determined they were underground.

"What he said." Terry commented, just wanting to break a minute long silence.

Fowler just sighed heavily, shaking his head. Clearly this was going to be harder then he wanted it to be. Especially since these kids were not only far from naive. They were more than right guessing what Major Talbot would do. "Okay, look. I'll do my best to get you out of this mess. But I need you to cooperate with me here."

"Or else what?" Miko asked in a cocky tone.

"Miko!" Jack and Raf yelled at her.

"Look. If you don't calm down, young lady, you will spend some time locked up here. And believe me: Major Glenn Talbot as stubborn as all 50 states." He said, confusing the under aged group before him. The Special Agent stood up and walked out of the room. Miko groaned and tackled the door. Naturally she bounced off. And despite the obvious pain, she tried again. Sadly it would not matter how many times she'd try. She wasn't strong enough.

"Hey, Punk-girl. You really think that's a good idea to keep ramming the door that won't give in?" Terry asked, raising an eyebrow. Miko turned to face him. And her black eyes met with his green ones.

"How about you try. Cause I refuse to stay here and have Bulkhead not know where to seek action." She said furiously. Jack and Raf paled when they heard Miko mention the green Autobot.

"Who's 'Bulkhead'?" the dread head asked. It was then that the Japanese girl realized what she said.

"A... friend of mine." She said. "A really cool guy. A little overprotective, but capable of wrecking lots of stuff." She said, trying not to mention he's an alien robot.

Terry shrugged. "Anyway... I'd say we stay here. Better not let this Major think he's right about us."

"And what if he's going to have us terminated right on the spot?" Raf asked. The bulky teen looked at him for a moment. Then sighed heavily. He stood up and set before the door.

"Step aside, Punk-girl." He said, causing Miko to follow. Then he took a few deep breathes and with a roar tackled the door, effectively opening them. He looked around, only to realize Talbot was pointing a gun at him. He started sweating cold realizing what kind of situation he found himself in. What was he thinking listening to that girl?

"You see, Agent Fowler. I was right after all." Talbot spoke. "Now I'm more than happy with my decision." He made it clear he was going to deal with the kids. "Men! We'll do this in that room. It'll be quicker."

"W-wait! You can't do that!" Jack shouted.

"Yeah! We did nothing wrong!" Miko added her two cents.

"P-please. N-no!" Raf begged.

"Major Talbot! This is going too far!" Agent Fowler spoke, earning a punch from the man.

"You are under arrest, Agent Fowler, for insubordination. Lock him up! You'll be court-martialed for this!" He said. As two of his soldiers held the Special Agent in place, the major pointed his gun at the kids- more specifically at Raf. "I am just doing my job as a good soldier." He said.

The tension grew. The kids could hear the sound of a pulling trigger. The gun would fire any moment now. Jack moved to shield the younger boy noticing the major now aiming at him. He closed his eyes, but not tightly. It was more like awaiting for the bullet.

But before Talbot could fire, the whole place shook. Everyone nearly lost their balance. The alarm sounded, as the lights turned off and illuminated again. This time however it was a red light. "W-what happened?" Somebody answer me!" Talbot demanded.

"_Alert! Alert! The complex has been breached! All personnel prepare for the invading enemy at Entry 02! This is not a Simulation! Repeat: this is NOT a simulation!_"

The soldiers were running throughout the base. Some were passing the Major, nearly tackling him. The man glared at the kids for a moment, growling. "Keep an eye on them and Fowler. I'll deal with them after the crisis is over." He said. Two men threw Fowler and Terry back into the room kept an eye on them, Talbot and the other soldiers ran to deal with the situation.

* * *

**Entry 02**

A large, metallic door was being ripped out. All the soldiers there pointed their rifle, rocket launcher and cannon at the door, awaiting for whatever would appear. Within moments, a huge, gold-and-black bird-like drone flew in, slicing through men and tanks like knife through butter. As the humans tried, key word 'tried', to shoot the thing, the door finally ripped off, revealing two Decepticons. Genocide roared as he aimed and fired. When the humans began to fall back, Barricade stepped in, as the drone approached him.

"You have done well, Buzzsaw. Return to Barricade." He ordered. Though it wasn't like he had to treat it like another Decepticon. Truthfully, Buzzsaw was link to the hunter. A secondary body of sorts. It's consciousness was that of Barricade's, unlike Soundwave's little friends.

He looked at his hulking comrade. "Barricade suggests we focus this once on our task. We did come here for a reason." He pointed out, walking towards the nearest computer panel. His finger transformed into a plug he inserted into a primitive device and ran through the base blueprints. "Barricade found what we came for. Barricade suggests we make this fast." The feral giant grunted and followed. This mission would be a piece of energon cube.

* * *

The rumbling continued along with a series of explosions. Fowler looked at the kids, believing them to be terrified. However, they were more confused than actually scared. He thought about how to get them out of this, when the radio of one soldier transmitted.

"_To all personnel! The enemy has been identified! Two Decepticons have breached the base! They are heading towards sector...!_" the broadcast seized due to interference. The once who knew who the Decepticons were had their eyes wide in terror.

"You kids stay here!" Fowler demanded. "I need to call special back up!"

"You mean the Autobots, don't you?" Jack asked, seeing no reason to stay quiet in this situation.

"Auto-what?" Terry asked in confusion.

"Wait, you mean you know them?" the government agent asked. "Oh, now they crossed the line." He growled to himself. He was not going to let this one slide. "For now just stay here where it..." then the ground shook hard. There was a loud sound by the entrance. The five turned to find the guards out cold by the rubble.

"The Decepticons are destroying the whole base and you want us to stay here?" Miko asked sarcastically. "Oh yeah. Good idea."

"What is hidden in this base?" Jack asked.

"Nothing you need to know, son." Fowler answered, reaching for the phone. Surprisingly, Jack grabbed him by the collar and pressed him against the wall, surprising everyone with his greater strength then he should have.

"What is so important that the 'Cons would bother breaking in here?" the raven haired teen asked harshly. And if he wasn't demanding enough, Terry was already ready to beat the agent up. Fowler understood there was no time for this.

"It's a prototype power reactor." He answered. "It's supposed to work as an alternative power source in five states of our country. Far safer then nuclear power."

"Then Megatron must be building something big." Jack reasoned.

"Whoa. Who are the Cons, Jacky?" Terry finally asked. It was then that the kids remembered that he was not into that.

"Long story short: evil alien robots. Our friends, the Autobots, are the good guys fighting them." Raf explained.

"Good enough for now." The muscular teen said. "So what do we do?"

"Agent Fowler. Call the Bots." Jack said. "We'll try and slow them down."

"Slow them down? You?" Fowler asked in disbelieve. "How?"

"There's gotta be something in here." Terry reasoned. "Some kind of inner security control. Or something to remotely shut the blast doors and activate some sort of defense."

"I'll take you there. It's the only place I can call them from anyway." He said, gesturing them to follow.

It was a good five minute run through the maze of hallways, but the five finally reached the right room. Inside there were numbers of screens and control panels. The Autobot friends looked around in amazement, while Fowler approached the phone. Only problem was, in his haste he forgot about the guards.

"Agent Fowler! Step back from the phone!" one guard said, as his two friends approached the kids.

"Son. We've got an extraterrestrial problem here. So, for Uncle Sam's beard's sake, put down your gun." Fowler spoke.

"Afraid I can't do that, Sir! Arrest them!"

Fowler wouldn't stand for this. This was an emergency and these guys were getting in his way. So he tackled the man. As the other two were about to lay their hands on the kids, Terry delivered a strong punch to the man's gut. Miko, surprisingly, delivered a kick to the other man's face. Then punched him and delivered another kick, knocking him out. Jack and Raf were taken aback. "Nice one, Miko." Raf commented.

The girl turned to face them with a smirk. "I used to be a Japanese National Karate Tournament champion two times in a row."

"Cool." The preteen said at awe. Then he heard a loud thud next to him. When he took a look, the boy found the other guard unconscious.

"Well, that's that." Terry said, dusting his hands before crossing them. "Now what?"

"I'll make the call. Then..." Fowler stopped something got his attention. It was the man in the door, pointing a gun at them. "Major Talbot! What are you doing?"

"Making sure you people are dealt with." He said with a paranoid look in his eyes.

"By the Declaration of Independence, Talbot. We have a situation here and you're...?"

"Don't lecture me, Fowler! I am NOT letting these kids out of here! And I will not have the other alien robots destroying these facility! Step away from the phone, now." The special agent didn't want to listen, but wouldn't provoke the man any further. He had no idea why was the major acting like that but he didn't care right now. That man became a threat to everyone. He stepped away from the phone, as told. And stood by the kids. When Talbot pointed at the preteen first, Fowler tackled him. "What are you doing, Fowler?!"

"Stopping you... from *grunt* killing the innocents!" the two struggled for a while. Talbot was able to hit Fowler from time to time, Before the federal agent finally kicked him away. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and hit the computer console with his head. He hit hard enough to lose consciousness. Talbot tried to collect himself, only to get hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. When the madman fell out cold, Miko dropped the container.

"Tie him up. Better not risk him attacking us again." Terry suggested, receiving a nod. After a few minutes, they approached the monitor showing a large, heavily armored door and two Decepticons approaching it.

"Not good." Jack commented.

"Think Agent Fowler can still call the 'Bots?" Raf asked.

"You! Soldier! You're out of uniform! Go put on some pants!" the agent blubbered before going out cold again.

"Only if he regains the connection with his brain." Terry commented.

"Dudes. Why not simply kick their tail pipes?" Miko suggested.

Jack looked around the consoles. He was thankful for his high intelligence in the time like this. "Raf. The console over there. Let's use the defense turrets against them."

"Umm, Jack...?" Raf spoke with clear confusion. "How do you...?"

"No time. Do it." He said hastily. The preteen had no arguments there and sped to the console to the far right. The small kid was typing with incredible speed on the keyboard.

* * *

Genocide and Barricade approached the door. It was easily twice the feral Con's height and four times as wide. After dealing with the humans and their primitive weaponry, which was more of an annoyance then actual threat, the two were glad it was so peaceful here.

"Barricade knew we'd find it." The hunter spoke, as the piece of armor on his back transformed into a bird-like drone. "Buzzsaw will cut you some of the door to make the job faster. So hurry. Barricade wants to be out of this place before unicron."

The feral giant growled, as Buzzsaw launched and began to make deep cuts in the door. Genocide dug his talons into the door and started to pull, so far only making the metal screech. Even for someone as strong as him it was quite challenging to rip these doors open.

And finally the doors were clearly bending. But as they were, turrets came out of the walls and opened fire at the two Decepticons. Barricade snarled. "Barricade has wasted enough time on these human games!" he shouted and began to shoot at the turrets, as well as commanding Buzzsaw to attack.

* * *

"You're not doing any damage!" Miko commented.

"There's no way we would. But hopefully we'll buy enough time for Agent Fowler to come to." Jack reasoned.

"Why not just call the 'Bots out self?"

"Don't you think Agent Fowler would have done that if a cell phone was enough? This place must be shielded. Plus we don't have our phones. Remember how they confiscated them?"

"Then why not...?" Before Miko could finish, there was a strong tremble. They looked at the monitor to find Genocide enter the room and pull out a sphere-like device. "Scrap." Miko cursed.

"Let's get out of here!" Terry yelled. The three nodded in agreement and grabbed Fowler and Talbot. But by taking the major, Miko noticed he had her phone.

* * *

**Outside**

The rock by which the kids got caught slide away, allowing the hatch to open. Soon, the kids emerged, pulling the federal agent and paranoid major out. They were breathing heavily, tired of carrying the two. But as they were outside...

"Well, well, well." A familiar, to Jack, voice came from the tree line. And soon the two Cons appeared. "What do we have here. The human whom Starscream had Barricade hunt down. Barricade will now have revenge."

Genocide growled, putting down the device. Just in time for Fowler to come to and see the situation. "Whoa! Sweet Mother Liberty!" he panicked.

"Don't worry, human. Barricade won't take long." Barricade commented, slowly reaching for the humans.

"You got that right." A voice came. The hunter turned to his left to find a solver Lamborghini, the red-and-grey BISON and a blue motorcycle approaching them. In a matter of seconds they transformed into their robot forms and send Barricade flying. Genocide, on the other hand, took the punch but didn't even flinch. He stared back at Ironhide and punched him away. It was then that Arcee dashed in. The kids were surprised seeing this.

"How did... they know?" Jack asked in confusion, before looking at Miko, knowing that if anything, she had something to do with it.

She waved her phone. "Found it in the Major Pain-in-the-backside's pocket." She said.

Then their attention was caught by Jazz jumping away from the series of shots. Barricade snarled. He wanted to deal with the Autobots, but had a priority as of now. "Barricade to the Nemesis. Requesting emergency groundbridge. Code alert: Zarak." He spoke to his communicator. As on cue a vortex appeared and dozens of Vehicons emerged, attacking the 'Bots. As they were fighting, Genocide, covered by Barricade, carried the sphere into the vortex. As the last of the Vehicons fell, the Autobots found the groundbridge close.

"Dude. They lost? Or win?" Miko asked in confusion.

"They got what they came for, Miko. So they won." Raf spoke.

"Yeah. But at least we're okay." Terry commented. "Right, Jacky?"

"Umm, yeah. I guess." Jack replied, before looking at the 'Bots approaching them. Then at Terry and Agent Fowler, who was just giving them all a stern look.

Before anyone could say anything, they all got surrounded by the soldiers. "Men! Arrest these people for assaulting me!" Talbot ordered.

"Delay that order!" One of the higher ranking soldiers spoke, turning his weapon at the Major. "You forgot your place, Talbot! You will be trialed for the abuse of power, assaulting the federal agent and trying to kill civilians."

"W-what? How dare you...?!" Talbot got quickly silenced, as the soldiers grabbed him and carried him away. Then Fowler looked at the kids and the Autobots.

* * *

"I should actually report this to the higher ups, you know." He finally said after an hour long discussion with the Cybertronians and the kids. "But I'll let this one slide. But if anything happens I WILL take measures. And I don't care if you'll force me get the Pentagon on this." He smiled. Then left.

"So, does this mean our camping is cancelled?" Miko asked, hoping this was an end.

However, Arcee had a mysterious smile on her face. "You wish. We are staying here with you."

As Miko groaned, Jack patted her back in comfort. "Here, here, Miko. It's not so bad. You did survive one day in the wild."

"Sure. You just wanna see me dressed like that a little longer." She teased him again.

Jack blushed madly. "AM NOT!" He shouted, turning away.

* * *

**Decepticon Island**

The two Decepticons bowed before their lord, presenting him with their 'souvenir'. Megatron got up from his throne and approached the device, smiling sinisterly. "You made me proud. You did me a great pleasure learning of this base, Barricade. You brought me a great finding."

"Barricade lives to please, Lord Megatron Absolute." Barricade smiled.

"Soundwave! Knockout! Analyze this device! If we can use this for our little science project, then soon, Cybertron will be cleansed of the Primes. And, starting with me, a new dynasty, the Dynasty of Absolutes shall rule. We shall make PEACE THROUGH TYRRANY!" he announced, causing all the Decepticons cheer.

**End**

* * *

**A.N.:** **Well, it's finally here. Didn't really go as expected, but mostly as intended. Yes, I made many references to Marvel Comics. That was mostly in honor (can't really find the proper word) to G1 comics being edited by Marvel Comics. The issue with Spider-man was, in fact, the first Transformer comic I read. And no. the Unicron reference was NOT about the Chaos bringer. I will explain it in time, so please have some patience. Next time, 'Speed metal'. Look forward to it. Because after that things will start getting serious. Please review. And give some advice or propose something to the story. Cya, fleshlings.**


	13. 12 Speed Metal

**-12-**

**Speed Metal**

Arcee woke up from her sleep mode. She had a particular dream. It was like that for the past few days. What was she dreaming about? Springer- the 'Bot she had feelings for. He was tall, compassionate, strong and honest. Also... he was a racing champion. Yes, she used to have feelings for the sportsbot. And he used to return them. The two were very happy. And madly in love. At least for as long till Megatron brought war to their home world. The two rarely used to see each other. The war did even something worse- it broke their relationship. Springer came to focus so much on the war that he became a different mech. It pained her for some time. But because of the war she felt like she had to accept it. Fortunately, they remained close friends.

But deep down, she hoped the two of them would still be together.

But then, he was transferred to Crystal City, which was hit hard. And she had no news from him or about him. The last she heard was the report of the city falling into Decepticon hands, with more than a forth of the Autobots stationed there surviving- though taken prisoner. She hoped Springer was amongst them. So she could see him again.

Her thoughts seized upon hearing a noise. It was quiet enough not to awake the neighbors, but loud enough for her more sensitive audio receptors to catch. It was Jack's scream. She acted immediately, coming out of the garage, and running around the house to stop under the window to his room. She managed to climb to the window, to find the teen awake, with a horrified face, breathing hard and sweating. He had yet to find her looking at him, as worry crossed Arcee's face. She was about to ask Jack what happened, when she realized someone was about to enter the room. She hid just in time, as Kelly entered.

"Jackson?" she asked with concern. Her warm voice caught his attention. "Are you okay, little brother?"

"N-no." he asked, stuttering. It was the first time she heard him like that. He seemed so... vulnerable now. "I... it was..."

"The same nightmare?" she asked. He looked at her with fright. That just made her worry more. "Shh, it's okay, little brother." She hugged him. Normally, a teen being embraced by an older sister would be taken... a bit of an embarrassment. However, Jack merely returned the hug, fighting tears, as she started to sing in a language Arcee was not familiar with. But she could tell by the sound of it how calming it was. So beautiful. "I'm going to have to give you your medicine, Jackson. Just in case." Kelly said.

"You know how I dislike any extra doses." Jack said with an annoyed tone.

"And you know I am not taking any chances of you having a breakdown." She said, handing him a glass of water and two pills. "Last time you went catatonic, but also on the verge of death. And it was just after..." she stopped herself. Now she was fighting tears. Both siblings had sorrow looks on their faces, not looking at each other. The Femme quickly understood what she must've been applying to. But what also got on her mind was that Jack never said anything about having any illness. Didn't he trust her? Or was it he didn't want to tell her simply not to feel like a burden? Or didn't want pity?

"Here." Jack broke the silence, handing her a half-empty glass. "Thanks, sis. For always being there for me."

Kelly smiled at him. "Jackson. We only have each other now. We don't have to... act tough."

"Right." The raven haired boy commented sarcastically.

"Well, sleep tight, little brother. And remember: I'll have to take another blood sample. I think I found something about that." She said before closing the door.

Jack made himself comfortable and slowly fell asleep. So he never knew of a pair of blue optics taking one last glance at him before disappearing. Arcee slowly made her way back to the garage, careful not to get any attention. She wondered about what was wrong with Jack. Ever since their little adventure in Yellowstone Park and the run in with Airachnid, she not only opened up more to Jack. She actually warmed up to him. After all, he prooved himself a loyal friend. He was more intelligent and cunning than any other human she ever met thus far, though actually she didn't met that much. Jack became actually the first and, by far, the only human she liked and actually wanted to stay friends with. Even she wouldn't admit it. However, she would not allow his secret to take anything away. She would learn of his illness. She just had to be patient.

* * *

**Next day, Franklin High**

The class was over and Jack hopped onto Arcee, who was waiting for him, surprisingly, with a smile- so to say. Jack wasn't sure why, but his guardian seemed to be in a really good mood since morning. There was even a moment he thought she was happy to have a way to kill him. But he shook the idea off. No way she'd do that. She was his favorite Autobot and best friend, along with Terry. The teen pulled her out of the parking spot, only to hear a comment from his nemesis.

"Nice moppet, Dorkby." Vince mocked. Jack sighed, tightening his grip on Arcee's handles. She could tell he was eager to act- and was also surprised by the strength of his grip. But Jack didn't respond. He ignored the red head and the two were on their way.

Once they were alone on the street, Jack decided to ask her about the cheerful attitude. "So, 'Cee? You seem in a good mood today. Anything I should know?"

"Just learned I have a day off." She lied. She simply wanted to spent some time with the teen. "So I thought I'd give you a ride of your life." She said, before stopping at the lights. Jack chuckled lightly, shaking his head. He was willing to spend the day riding.

"Jack?" a feminine voice caught his attention. When he turned, he saw a red head girl in a blue shirt and jeans. "Jack Darby? Is that you?" she asked again. Jack's eyes widened.

"Sierra?" he was clearly shocked. "Wow, long time no see."

"Surprising how one year is like eternity." She commented. Then looked at his bike. "When did you get the bike? You build it?" she asked.

"Actually I found it. The owner was so impressed he sold it to me." He lied. Arcee wasn't really happy with his choice of words, but knew he didn't mean to offend her. "What made you think I build it?"

"Well... I haven't forgotten how skilled you are with machines. After all, you easily fixed a car dad was fixing for weeks." She remembered. "So, you think you could give me a ride around a block?" Sierra asked.

"L-like... right now?" Jack asked hesitantly. But was also surprised. He recalled back into the past. The two were very close. They would've been a couple. They almost were. But then she had to move out from Jasper. Jack thought he lost the first girl he loved, or at least had a crush on. And now she was here, right before him, asking for a ride. On the other hand, he wasn't sure if Arcee would be cooperative. She wasn't really fond of humans.

He wasn't exactly right. But also wasn't exactly wrong. Arcee wasn't his wingman. Yet to her shock, Jack said what she wasn't expecting. "S-sure. Why not? Just to fair, the bike has a tem..." he never got to finish. A costumed muscle car came in between them. "Well well. Small world." Vince commented.

"Umm... We're having a conversation here." Jack said. Vince, however, just yawned.

"Cheer captain here would probably be more interested seeing your two-wheeler take on a muscle car."

"W-wait. A-are you challenging me? To a race?"

"Wow. You really are the brightest kid in school." The bully commented with sarcasm. "So what'll it be, Darby?"

Jack looked between him and Sierra, who seemed curious about his answer. Actually, Jack though about it. And wasn't sure. He wasn't simply confident. Then he took a deep breath and looked at Vince. And was about to answer...

But the bike just shot off, nearly dropping the rider. Jack managed to fix himself. "Arcee...?"

"Not letting you race." She spoke. "Rule number 2: never abuse power for personal gain." Arcee reminded him of the Autobot rules. The first being 'remain in your vehicle mode unless truly necessary'.

Jack sighed heavily. "Guess you're right. Besides, last time I raced I..." he paused, "Nevermind."

But that didn't escape Arcee's attention. The kid was hiding something. The question was 'what?'

On the next traffic lights, Arcee stopped, having Vince stop next to them. "Look, Vince. I don't think racing's a good..."

"Ha! Figures." The red head laughed. "You ride your bike like a big man. But it's just a clunky old bike. And..." Oh no. He was not going to say it. "...ugly."

The moment he finished, he made a U-turn, covering Jack in a cloud of dust and fumes. The teen began to cough, despite the helmet.

Arcee didn't take the bully's words well. "That's it!" she stated. "The yahoo's goin' down!" and she shot off again, making a sharp U-turn and quickly following Vince.

"Hello? Rule number 2?" Jack reminded her.

"Gets bend." She answered. The minute she saw Jack's eyes, she concluded. "Just this once." She sound innocently, as if he was her guardian. Yet, considering how he disliked the bully, he agreed with her. And they arrive just in time to see Vince trying to flirt with Sierra.

"Yo, sexy. I'm afraid Darby's..." he started, when Jack cut in.

"Ready when you are, Vinny."

Vince was surprised at first to find the social outcast behind him. He was sure Jack forfeited. Then he smiled. He was going to enjoy this. "Meet me in one hour by the Scorpion Rock."

* * *

**Later...**

The vehicles stood in the middle of the road. Few dozen meters off was a rock that looked a lot like a scorpion stinger. But that's not why's the name. It was because the base of in was covered with scorpions.

But that's not they were here. Sierra looked at the two, waiting for them to start the race. "First one to reach the next mile mark wins." Vince explained the rules. "On 3. Ready... GO!" he shot off, covering Jack in dust.

"Well that was fair" Jack commented through his coughs. Then he and his partner shot. They finally past Sierra and just kept their distance. While the red head was smirking, Jack was confused. He knew Arcee could still go faster. "Umm, Arcee?"

"Winning isn't enough, Jack." She explained. "As Hot Ride would say: you wanna make him cry."

The mile marker was in sight. Vince smiled. He was sure of his victory. But decided to toy with Darby first. But as much as he wanted to, the guy wasn't visible in his mirror, which was confusing. Then something drawn his attention. Jack was riding next to him, playing show off. When the front wheel touched the road, the bike accelerated, leaving a cloud of dust for Vince to look at. And as the bully's jaw dropped, Jack crossed the finish line, cheering.

"Whoa-hoo! Outstanding!" he cheered. And as much as he knew chances were unlikely, he suggested: "So, umm, now would be... a good chance to give Sierra a round around the block."

"Nice try." Arcee replied. Well, he tried.

* * *

**Decepticon Island**

Dark clouds covered the sky above the island on which the Nemesis was stranded. But it wasn't the clouds originating from the volcano. They were storm clouds. And a heavy rain was pouring on a black armored form of Megatron, who was looking at the horizon. His red optics blazing like two suns when lightning struck. He was planning. What was he planning? No Decepticon knew. Especially Starscream, who was now lying before Megatron, beaten heavily. The SIC again tried to destroy the Decepticon Lord, only to be discovered and end up looking as if Optimus ran him through a laser trash disposal.

"I believe we need a briefing." Megatron thought out loud. Then activated his comm-link. "Soundwave! How goes the project?" he demanded answers.

"_Reporting: Power cell modified at 40%._" Soundwave informed. Megatron merely scowled.

"Why so long? Where's Knockout?"

"_Reporting: Knockout left the base. Claimed for scientific purpose._"

Hearing that from his Communication Officer, Megatron snarled, shaking. "HE DARES TO LEAVE THE BASE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION?!" the warlord finally roared, making few Vehicons nearby back in fear. "Soundwave. Send someone to find him and BRING him to me!"

"_As you command, Lord Megatron._" Soundwave simply replied.

* * *

**K.O Burger, next day**

After the race, Arcee gave Jack a short ride. Keyword 'short'. Her mood was a bit down after the race. Then they decided to head to the base. But just before they entered the groundbridge vortex at the set coordination, the white femme asked Jack to keep the race between him and her. Jack agreed to keep it a secret, which she was grateful for.

His mind then recalled how Arcee had to go on a mission and wouldn't be able to pick him up. Terry and Hot Ride, who was set as his guardian, agreed that the Autobot warrior would pick him up on this day. But for now, Jack had to endure his job. Out of two pains, this was better than Arcee asking questions he wasn't comfortable with. She used to ask him yesterday about the illness he must be having since he's taking some medicine. The teen managed to dodge the questions and hoped his guardian wouldn't ask them again.

His thoughts seized when a costumer made an order. "Welcome to K.O. Burger. Where every patty's a knock out. May I take your order?" he asked.

"_I'll have one double cheeseburger with a diet soda_." A girl voice spoke.

"Okay, numeros 3 with a zero. Anything else?"

"Yeah. One good old friend to take five for a talk." That was not what he expected. He looked out the window to find Sierra. She smiled and waved at him. It took the raven haired teen a few minutes but he finally caught the time off. The minute he came out, Sierra spoke.

"So... how you doing?" She asked. "You seem a lot better than last year."

"Yeah. Taking medicine. Having regular sessions. And Kelly's taking blood samples. I'm holding better." He answered. He suffered mentally and had some physical difficulties. The latter however was not much of an issue. It was his mentality that had Sierra worried.

"Yeah, the way you took down Vince gave me the idea. Normally, you'd be trembling."

"Nah. It was nothing." Jack said, just he got caught by the collar and pushed against the wall.

"You're right it was, Darby." A voice came with an aggressive tone. And Jack recognized it all too well. When he turned around, he wasn't too surprised to find Vince glaring at him. "You were lucky. Let's see you repeat that tonight at 9 by the kennel outside the town."

Sierra, however, wasn't going to let the red hair have his way. "What is your problem, Vince? Jack beat you fair-and-square."

"Stay out of this, girl!" Vince snarled, pushing her aside. Then Jack felt something.

Something snapped. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold it.

"You want a rematch?" he growled, approaching the red head as if ready to punch him to death. "Better be worth it, Vinny." He stared him straight in the eyes, just causing Vince to smile and Sierra to look with worry.

She was familiar with that look.

* * *

**Later...**

"You what?!" Hot Ride asked with disbelieve. "Are you out of your mind?"

Now that Jack thought about it, the Autobot was far from wrong. Just after that break he took, he had to take his pills. And it cleared his mind. When he realized what he did, he hit his face against the wall.

"I... didn't really... I got provoked. I didn't had a choice." The teen excused himself.

"You ALWAYS have a choice, Jack." Hot Ride tried to lecture him. "Trust me when I say it. I know from experience. You could've refused to participate."

"I know. I messed up big time."

"Even more. I know you and 'Cee had a race yesterday. And she won't do that again. Trust me, I know." Jack flinched when he heard that. Apparently Hot Ride was nearby when the two decided to keep silent about it. That or Arcee told him, trusting him to be quiet.

"But... you'll help, right?" Jack hoped. The answer he heard...

"Racing with sore losers is beneath me. I have my pride, Jack. And you should too." Hot Ride said, clearly making it final.

Jack seemed to be in deep thought. Hot Ride had a point, he had to admit it. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Turn left and drop me off." He said.

"Wai... What?"

"I'm not going to base today." Jack answered. "Plus, I gotta do some shopping."

"Whatever you say, kiddo." Hot Ride complied.

* * *

It took Jack a bit of time. But he was done with shopping really fast. After that, he headed straight to his sanctuary. He opened the garage. It's been a long time since he's last been here. He looked in the corner, where something was covered with a blanket. He walked into another room, determined looked on his face. He reached for the closet, where a metallic box lied. He pulled it out and was about to open it. "Time to see how well you'll do." He said to himself, opening the container, as a bright blue light illuminated his face. And Jack pulled out a cylinder-like object with multiple cables. And in the middle of it was a glass orb with what looked like a crystal shard.

As he began to work on something, Miko called. Her, Raf and Terry were wondering where was he. The teen told them about the race and asked to keep this to themselves, which they agreed to. But when Raf asked how was he going to race without Arcee or Hot Ride, he just said he has it covered.

* * *

**Outside Jasper**

A large crowd gathered for the secret race. Most of the people were teens. All of them showing off their cars. One guy in particular- Vince. The red head was at the moment looking out for Darby while talking to a few girls gathered around him. Though, if any of them, he would prefer to have a word with Sierra. The girl came to the race only to make sure nothing bad happened to Jack.

Speaking of devil, the teen arrived. And amongst the gathered cars, most of which were customized, he was the only one with a bike. But that was no bike anyone had ever seen before. The front looked a lot like that of a Aprilia RSV 1000 R, while the back looked like something from "Batman: Beyond". It's black and silver form rolled through the kennel until it reach the starting line, all the time not roaring but rather humming. The rider pulled off his helmet, revealing Jack, who ran his hand through his hair, before looking at shocked Vince.

"I'm racing in my prototype." He said. Vince didn't bother asking and entered his car, while Sierra approached the brunette.

"You finally finished it?" she asked. She heard Jack tell her he was building a motorcycle of his own, but was far from over last she heard.

"This race will tell." He answered, putting on his helmet. No one was aware of a red and silver, custom muscle car approaching the back of the racing group.

Knockout was an automobile enthusiast. He just found something about cars stylish. That's why he chose that vehicle mode. But it was later on that he would sneak out join the races. Especially underground racing. And now he arrived here to have some time off. Then he picked up a signal. "What's this? Energon?" that actually caught his attention. "In one of the vehicles? Interesting." If his face was to be seen, it would've been serious.

All the riders were set ready and awaiting the signal. The tension was growing. A lone figure stepped in front with a flag, waiting for the right moment.

She waved the flag.

And off they went. The tires screeched sliding on the concrete before the rides shot off. The cars were now racing down the kennel, having a long way to the finish line. But Vince was already growing mad. Mostly because Darby was clearly taking his time. But that changed when the raven haired teen accelerated, easily getting even. Oh no. Vince would not let Darby win this time. So he tried to push him off. But Jack pulled back fast enough to avoid him. But in his pride, Vince nearly allowed some other guy take the lead. He pushed the guy off, into the litter, allowing Jack to go forward, taking the lead. This got Vince so mad, he failed to notice two more cars get before him.

One of them was Knockout. And the Con began to shoot. Jack got startled, but didn't lose his balance. He looked back, to notice the car with a familiar, purple insignia on the grill. He got scared.

Luckily for him, Knockout was not the only Cybertronian to pick up the energon reading.

* * *

**Autobot HQ**

It was unusually quiet in the secret base. Terry did ask why did they always enter it via the groundbridge, to which the Autobots always refused to answer. The kids simply came to think it was part of the deal with the government, who provided them with the place. Well, no matter the reason, the vortex opened, allowing Arcee to drive in. she transformed, smiling. Her mission apparently gone well. Now she wanted to have some rest from everything, when something caught her attention.

In the command room, there were Bulkhead, Hot Ride and Jazz, who unlike the rest was... what was that word? Meditating? None of the 'Bots understood that inner-piece, one-with-the-soul or whatever that mumbo jumbo was. But the cool SIC seemed to like it. As it goes for Ratchet, he had to go with Ironhide on a different assingment on behalf of Agent Fowler. And Optimus? Well, he was probably in his quarters.

She walked closer to check on their little friends. She wanted to ask Jack what was that about the pills and this time she was determined to get the answers. After all, how was she to be his guardian if he wouldn't let her do her job? Well, when she approached the kids, she found Raf and Miko playing their video games, as always. And Terry was making shakes listening to the radio. But she couldn't find Jack anywhere.

"Where's Jack?" she asked Hot Ride, who was calm at the question.

"Decided not to come." He answered bluntly.

"Ha! I win!" Raf cheered. At the same time as Hot Ride answered the femme.

Miko sighed in annoyance. "Hope Jack's doing better in real-life event than me." Her and the two boys' eyes widened once they realized what she said. "Umm, uhh..." she tried to clear things out, making it up of course. But she couldn't come up with anything before Arcee put her servos on her hips.

"He's racing, isn't he?" she asked.

"Well... he's not riding any of you. So it's not like he's breaking the rule. At least your rules." Terry reasoned, finding what he believed to be a loop hole. However, Arcee's glare shut him up. Or it would, if it wasn't for him simply giving her a look of disbelieve.

"You knew about that, Hot ROD?" she glared at the warrior. Hot Ride disliked it when she called him that. It was unoriginal. And she would always use the name when really annoyed.

"Not really." He answered. "I can understand a rematch that jerk wanted. But what he asked for... puh-lease. I'm way too good for that. Though I will admit I should've guessed he'd pull that off."

Arcee glared at her friend for a second longer. She wanted to be mad at him. But she knew him well enough to know that he was too prideful to get involved into racing. But she was mad at him for leaving him alone.

Then her train of thoughts seized when Jazz entered the room, finished with meditation. "Yo, fools. What's with the mood? Fells so gloomy it chills under m' hood."

Arcee was about to reply, when the monitor showed the image of Bummblebee, opening the comm-channel. "Bummblebee to base. Come in HQ."

"This is HQ. DJ master Jazz on the line. Come in, 'Bee." The Autobot SIC answered.

"I think we have a situation." He got everyone's interest. "I was out scouting when I picked up energon signature. It's weak, so I wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't moving."

"Moving energon?" Bulkhead seemed confused. "The 'Cons?"

"I went to check it. That's when I found this underground racing. And I found Knockout chasing a motorcycle that seems to be the energon source."

The Autobots were surprised to hear this. Arcee seemed to get an idea, but needed confirmation. " can you confirm the biker's identity?"

"Not from where I stand." 'Bee answered apologetically.

"You wanna confirm Jack's location, don't you, gal?" Jazz asked, knowing full well what was she thinking. He worked by the panel, and soon a map showed on the screen, showing what the femme expected.

She narrowed her brow-plates.

"Bummblebee. Follow them. Your first priority is to make sure Jack's save." She commanded. And just as the comm-channel closed, she turned towards the groundbridge with a furious face. "Until I get him."

Hearing that, Jazz's jaw hit the floor.

"Make sure to leave something for me." Hot Ride followed.

* * *

**With Jack...**

Jack kept dodging the blasts at best he could. Fortunately, his bike, while not Arcee, was doing just fine. The teen accelerated and turned towards the exit point. Knockout followed, but didn't expect the bike to shift as it was flying. It shifted only enough to make the landing safe. The teen accelerated again, trying to make some distance, but the Con just wouldn't give. In fact, Knockout decided to go full throttle. And he was gaining on the human. Luckily, Jack still had these wheels to push to their limits. He pressed a lone button in the middle of the panel and the handlers changed their position, allowing Jack to set to increase the bike's aerodynamics. And something glowing extended from the bikes sides, causing the engine to become louder. As Knockout was about to reach the human, he shot off like a bullet. Knockout's jaw would have dropped if he were in robot form.

Still, Jack's joy was about to end. He didn't know how, but Vince came from the left and pumped into Jack, causing the teen to lose control. In a matter of seconds, the black haired teen got off the road and slide into the bushes. Vince pulled over, smirking, and got out of the car. He started walking towards the bush, where Jack was lying, cracking his knuckles.

"Now you're in it, Darby." He said, failing to notice a giant humanoid form behind him. "When I'm through with yo..." he never got to finished, as Knockout grabbed him and transformed. "What da f...?"

"Nah ah ah. Language." Knockout lectured him, zapping him to unconsciousness. Then, as if nothing happened, the Decepticon rode off. So he failed to find the Autobot friend come out of the bush. Jack groaned a bit, until he saw Knockout riding away. He would be happy if he haven't noticed the familiar muscle car.

"Oh no..." he whispered. He ran over to his bike, set it up and ignited. Only problem: nothing happened. He tried again. Same effect. He moved towards where the engine is and opened it, ejecting the crystal container, which was smoking. "Scrap. Circuitry's fried at the time like that." He cursed, kicking the bike.

Then he felt a strong headache. And it was unbearable. His vision was blurred, colorless. Yet at the same time, it was as if he could see much better. He could see a lizard on the rock on the far side of the road. He could even see it's temperature. The teen reached for his pocket, pulling out a vial with pills, but couldn't grab the lit properly. He couldn't open it. It was as if his perception shifted drastically. Then he heard the engines of the racing cars. But not only were they at least a mile away. They sounded like a aircraft engine roaring right next to your ear. Jack fell onto the sand and curled, unable to do anything. Right now he could only hope to endure it long enough to get the opening. He needed his pills. Fast.

And fate seemed to smile upon him. As soon as he gave another cry of pain, Arcee, Hot Ride, Bulkhead and Bumblebee arrived. The femme transformed. She was furious until she saw her charge in pain. "Jack?!" she cried, approaching him. The kid cried even louder, as if he got hit. She looked at him as he tried to reach the vial. Since she had the fingers most suited for this, she opened it and helped Jack take his medicine. It took a while but Jack was finally calming down. He was shaking terribly, sweating. And whispering something. "Jack? What is it?" she asked, leaning closer to him.

"So-so-sorry... I-I-I'm s-so-rry...I'm s-s-so-rry..." he kept saying, not registering even the femme's presence. And the look on his face, a creepy look was giving the 'Bots the shivers..

"Jack. It's alright. Just calm down." They tried to calm down the hysterically talking teen, who finally calmed down. He took a few more breathes. Then he looked around, finally registering the Autobots.

"Wha... What... happened?" he asked weakly.

"I should be asking you the same thing, Jack." Arcee said sternly.

"I remember... Vince!" he remembered. "The Con took Vince!" He managed to get up.

"Why would Knockout take him?" Hot Ride asked.

"I don't know. I think he took him for the bike's owner." Jack deducted. "Doesn't matter. What matters is that Vince got caught by Knockout to who knows where."

"Oh well. Tough luck." Bulkhead commented.

"Should've been smarter than that." 'Bee followed.

"Bulkhead!/Bumblebee!" Jack and Arcee shouted in unison.

"What? I heard the guy's a jerk." The green giant explained himself.

"He's a mega-jerk. A king of... Oh, no, no, no, no. Don't tempt me. He's still an innocent human. And even he doesn't deserve what the Decepticons may do to him.

Arcee looked at Jack for a while. And her mind brought up Springer. The two were a lot at the moment. Reckless, stubborn. She remembered how he would accept any challenge just to prove himself or test his limits. His stubbornness was out of his competitive nature. However, when time came, especially the Great War, Springer would show loyalty and compassion. He would not abandon any of his comrades even when things got extreme. She remembered the last time she saw him. It was a few days before the fall of Crystal City. He volunteered to join the group to back up the defenses. Mostly for the sake of his rival and best friends, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Arcee wanted to tell him how she still hoped for them to be together. But he seemed to know her thoughts and only told her that she would find someone more loyal to her than he could ever be.

And with that, he left.

And her mind returned to the present.

She looked at Jack's bike. "Take your bike."

"No use. The circuits are fried. It won't go anywhere." He explained.

Before Arcee transformed, she smiled at the news. "Hope on." She instructed him. As the teen got on, "'Bee. Take Jack's bike back to base." Bumblebee nodded, before receiving further instructions via silent comm-link channel. "I think Ratchet should take a look at this."

And she with the other two shot off.

* * *

**Autobot HQ**

"Maybe we should tell Optimus." Raf suggested.

"Nah ah, little fellow." Jazz said. "There's no need to bother him. Relax. The team can handle this. And if anything goes wrong, I'll go there myself."

"Where will you go yourself?" a deep voice, filled with wisdom startled the kids, while Jazz merely turned to face Prime. The kids had to admit it- this 'Bot sure could keep his cool.

"Where are the others?" Optimus asked.

"We have a little... problem." Jazz answered calmly. Optimus had a curious look on his face.

* * *

**Outside Jasper**

Knockout stopped at the parking lot. He allowed his passenger to fall out as he transformed. He looked at the teen, satisfied. Now he only waited for the kid to wake up so he could get some answers from him. Oh, he was going to enjoy this. Then he heard engines. Three of them. He had no illusion it was the Autobots.

"Eyes wide open, boys." Arcee spoke, as she rolled slowly.

"You take the high ground." Hot Ride instructed. Out of the three, he was the highest rank. "Bulk and I will search from the ground."

"Whatever you say, Ride." Arcee agreed.

"Just remember. No Blasters." Jack said, not wanting them to endanger Vince.

"That reminds me... This is where you get off, kid." She said. It's been a while since last she called him that. After he got off of her, Arcee transformed and jumped onto the nearest tallest structure, looking out for the Con.

"Get him, Arcee." Jack whispered.

Hot Ride transformed and walked through the streets. His sensors were sharp enough after all these centuries of war to have him know when he was near the enemy. He leaned against the wall and slowly sneaked towards the edge. He was a bit nervous. Every warrior was. Even someone as prideful as him. But he could not hesitate for too long.

He jumped out, pointing his blade at Knockout, who was holding his hostage before him. "One more step, Autobot, and your human friend will die." He threatened. He had the advantage. Hot Ride knew this. Although, he had a plan in mind at this very moment. It was a long shot, and dangerous. But could work.

"One problem, Knockout." Hot Ride said. Then smiled. "That's not our human friend." Knockout's optics widened. He looked at the boy, then back at Hot Ride, who clearly relaxed and started walking towards the Decepticon. Slowly.

"B-but... It's still a human." Knockout tried to regain his advantage. "You won't dare endanger a human, will you?"

"The others? No. But me? Who knows? Especially since this punk is nothing more than a disgrace to his race." Hot Ride kept walking, pulling out his blade.

Arcee saw Hot Ride engage Knockout a while ago. And when she saw him start walking, she knew what he planned. It was one of their favorites. She quickly sneaked around and was now behind the Con, just waiting for the right moment. And then her friend charged, his blade was buzzing, as he aimed for the arm Knockout raised in self defense.

But something hit Hot Ride, sending him flying into the building. The Con looked around to find Thundercracker and Skywarp. "oh, guys. I'm so glad to see you." He cheered.

"Ye'r in deep trauchle, Knockout. Oor laird wull hae ye recycled fur that. (You're in deep trouble, Knockout. Our Lord will have you recycled for that.) Thundercracker said.

"Indeed. It was most irrational of you to sneak out." Skywarp supported.

"Once Lord Megatron gets this human, he will forgive me." Knockout reasoned. Then the two Seekers got tackled by Hot Ride and Bulkhead. Knockout was confused and surprised. But he regained his cool in time to dodge Arcee's punch. He quickly transformed and raced out of the area. Arcee followed.

Knockout proofed too fast for her. She tried, but just didn't have the juice to keep up with the Decepticon, who clearly started to mock her. Knockout was so sure of his victory he failed to notice a truck slam him. The egomaniacal Con transformed, holding his hostage by his side, ready to use the human as a shield.

He lost his arm. He didn't even notice when. But when he raised his servo to show his hostage, it was gone. He looked to his right to find Jazz holding the chopped off servo with the boy, as his blade blazed. Liquid energon steaming on the sword. That got Knockout furious. "YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IS THAT TO REPLACE?!" he roared, earning a kick in the face from Jazz. That was enough for him to consider a fall back. Optimus was about to give an order, when the Seekers flew over them and caught the runaway. The two highest ranking 'Bots turned to find Hot Ride, Arcee and Bulkhead arrive. Before anyone could say anything, Jack got out of the red car.

"Optimus! If anything, blame me. The others... They tried to pull me out of this mess." Jack spoke. The Last of the Primes could tell the boy was honest. But even if he was just trying to cover for the Autobots, he was proud. Why? Because the boy was loyal enough to take the blame.

"We will discuss this later." He spoke. "For the moment we need to ensure this one's safety." Optimus gestured at Vince.

Then Arcee approached the two. Jazz in particular. "You rat us out, didn't you." She asked.

"Never said I'd cover you." Jazz answered, with a serious face. Arcee wanted to argue, but suddenly felt helpless. She felt like a sparkling. She looked at Jack, who suddenly got dizzy.

"You okay, Jack?" she asked.

"Just... dizzy." He answered, regaining his balance.

* * *

**Decepticon Island**

"You dared to abandon your post, Knockout!" Megatron shouted. Knockout stood at full attention in the dark, large room that once had been the bridge.

"My mistake, Lord Megatron." Knockout said, bowing. "I made a mistake and, well... paid the price." He showed his missing limb.

Megatron approached him. "You think THAT WILL DO?!" he roared, catching knockout by the head and lifting him with ease. "You have paid the price when I say so. But don't worry." The warlord raised his free servo. In a matter of seconds, electricity engulfed it. "Your punishment will be educational only." He smiled, nearing his hand to Knockout's face. The Con begged his master for mercy, pleaded. At the end his scream echoed throughout the island.

* * *

**Autobot HQ**

Ratchet worked on his panel. What he was working on fascinated him. When Bumblebee brought Jack's bike, the energon engine got him intrigued. He studied it carefully enough not to break it, as Optimus requested. He thought for sure humans would be to primitive for it. Yet here it was. An energon reactor, engine... he couldn't find the term. The point is, the motorcycle Jack build was powered by energon. And its build was rather advanced.

"Never thought our human friend would proof to be a genius of this caliber." The medic said when he sensed Optimus approach him. "To be honest his intelligence is high even by Cybertronian standards. Which is rather... strange." He then typed in a new command and the screen showed some medical records. "And it would appear that intellect came with a high price. It would appear he's suffering some kind of brain abnormalities. No wonder Arcee was so mad with his secretive life-style."

"That is something to hear, old friend." Optimus commented, feeling both respect and pity for their young friend.

"Anyway, Ratch, did you check what you were supposed to?" Jazz asked in all seriousness.

"Yes. I learned who the spy is." He said, typing in the command."

It was luck that Arcee was now with Ironhide on a mission and Jack at school. For the terminal showed her face.

**End**

* * *

**A.N.: Dum dum dum. Here, Speed Metal. Whoo, this was long. Anyway, Arcee turns out to be a traitor? What do you think. Really? Well, wait until next time to find out. Because as I said in the previous chapter: things are about to get serious. And let me tell you just this: Sideswipe, the spy's true name, will be officially referred to the bot. Yes, no more hiding under the false name. So 'til next time. And please review.**


	14. 13 Sideswipe- part 1

**-13-**

**Sideswipe**

**-Part 1-**

Megatron was sitting on his throne, resting. So far, nothing was worth his attention. The volcano was providing them with energon. Soundwave and Knockout, who was just recently punished, were working with the power generator Barricade and Genocide stole. Starscream and his Seekers were out on a mission. And Vehicons were at various tasks. Still, something was making him angry. He could feel his rage building. And it was the Autobots. They were still online. And their base was nowhere to be found. What was his spy doing by not revealing its location?

Speaking of the spy, Sideswipe was making the call. Megatron could tell as the spy's channel was specific. "_/Sideswipe to Lord Megatron./_" A distorted voice spoke. It was a safety measure in case the 'Bots caught he frequency.

"Report, Sideswipe." Megatron answered. "Why is it you still have not at least settled where the Autobot base lies?"

"_/I have already told you, my Lord. The only way to enter the base is via the groundbridge. Any other kind of exit I could find seems sealed shut./_" That was not the answer the black mech was expecting. He snarled, ready to smash anything. "_/However... I believe we may make that up. Therefore I request an assault of some kind./_"

Megatron calmed down and smiled hearing that. He believed to have figured what was he planning. "Just happens Soundwave located something interesting. The attack will commence the next morning. So be prepared."

"All hail Megatron Absolute." Sideswipe disconnected. Then looked around, to be certain no one was around, before exiting the cave he was in. Now the spy could return to base. Not it was only a matter of time.

* * *

**Autobot HQ**

The usual calm and quiet base was loud today. Loud, as Miko insisted on having a party. For what reason? Just to have one. Yeah, yeah, it seems a bit strange to party for no actual reason. But you got to relax sometimes. Or in Miko's case, have fun. So, the exchange student from Tokyo was playing her guitar as loud as possible. Terry, Jazz and Bumblebee joined Raf , who was showing them 'The Robot' dance. Hot Ride and Ironhide were out of base, helping Agent Fowler with something. Bulkhead was intrusted with inspecting the energon supplies. And Optimus was working on some project by the terminal.

As for others... Jack finally had his bike returned (which took 3 whole days, since that race, for reason unknown) and Optimus and Ratchet insisted he continued working on it in base. The teen was confused why, but obliged. As he was working on it, Arcee was crouching by his side, observing his work. Which at times disturbed Jack, who commented he felt like a prey that's about to be attacked. That made her laugh. Surprisingly, Ratchet was with the two, insisting on observing the boy's work. Though in reality, he was keeping an eye on the white femme. Since Teletraan I showed her to be the spy, he, Optimus and Jazz, though he was in denial, decided to keep their optics on her. Optimus had his doubts as well, but the risk was too high. As for the medic, he suspected that, if someone was framing her, it had to be Ironhide.

Afterall, he was Megatron's second-in-command for a long time before he defected to the Autobots.

Now he was observing the two by the bike, as the teen was detaching the energon engine. As he pulled it out, to unplug the cables, Ratchet's optics widened in amazement. It was rather primitive, yet highly advanced at the same time.

"Need help with that, Jack?" Arcee asked, wanting to help him set the engine on the table. Jack waved his hand while unplugging the last cable. Afterwards, he lifted it, with not that much difficulty.

"While building this... engine..." he started, before finally placing it on the desk. "..I took the necessity of removing it into consideration. So it's made of light resources. At least what I could find or afford."

Another screech of Miko's guitar made the two 'Bots grimace, while the teen picked up the screw driver and began dismantling the engine. "How, in Primus' name, can you work in these conditions?" Ratchet asked in disbelieve."

Jack merely shrugged. "You'd be surprised by how loud the music in my garage plays." He answered, pulling out a small, orb-like part, which was crisped. "Scrap. So even that didn't work. Another six months worth of work went to waste." He dropped the orb, which was now rolling towards the desk's edge. It would've dropped, if it wasn't for Arcee's quick fingers.

"What is that?" she asked, analyzing the thing.

"I call it the power adjuster. It's main purpose is to regulate the amount of energy released from the energon shard before sending it to power the whole engine and the bike." He explained. "But the problem is... that little shard, no bigger than a pencil, produces too much energy. I just can't come up with something to take the energy needed and keep the rest in check."

"You could've just tried to redirect the energy to circle before exiting to the system. Or try to ionize the energon to suppress the energy, allowing it release less of it energy." Ratchet explained.

"Tried the first option. Didn't work." Jack said bluntly, causing the medic's jaw to hit the floor, as if his widened optics wasn't enough. "As for the second- too risky. With something bigger, it could work. But we're talking about a small shard and a bike. The shard could turn into a ticking time bomb."

"Jack? How do you know that?" Ratchet asked, wondering how the human knew that much about the crystal for of the element native to their homeworld.

"I managed to get a look at its atomic structure." Jack explained, pulling out a notebook. Since he was allowed to work on it only in the base, he took some of the stuff from his garage the day before. He opened the right page, on which was a drawing of energon's atom. "I will not dare to manipulate it on atomic level. Not that I have the equipment to."

"Wise choice." Arcee commented with a smile, observing the orb. "And this was supposed to keep the right amount of energy to flow?"

"Yeah. But as you can see it's fried. I need something better."

"Arcee. Show it to me." Ratchet spoke to Arcee. And she didn't miss the tone he addressed her with. It was a bit dark. She eyed him. And he had an uneasy feeling when looking into her eyes. Finally, she did as asked and passed the orb to the medic. "I'll analyze that orb, if you want, Jack. See if I can figure something useful." He said.

"Thanks." Jack said, reading his notes. Ratchet managed to get a good look at the teen's notes. It was remarkable. The calculations, the schematics... No wonder he was able to repair Arcee on the day the two met.

Ratchet turned his attention to the panel, seeing Optimus working. On the screen, was the chest Ironhide and Bumblebee managed to recover from Chinese dessert. Now with Teletraan I back in their hands, Prime decided it was their chance to learn of its content without endangering the base.

"Well, what do you have, Optimus." The medic asked.

"I know not as of yet, old friend." The red-and-blue titan answered. However, I am about to find out."

He pressed the button. And the mechanical arm reached for the lit. when trying to open it...

The alarm sounded, illuminating the base in red light. That disturbed most of the 'Bots. And scared the kids.

"W-what happened?" Raf asked, hysterically.

"We're being attacked!" Miko shouted.

"What happened?" Bulkhead questioned, storming into the room. "That chest was holding scraplets, wasn't it? I told you to smash it!" he panicked.

"No. It is something much worst." Optimus said, with a grim voice. "We are fortunate we did not open it upon bringing it here."

"Why? Optimus, what is it?" Bumblebee asked.

"By the Matrix..." Jazz spoke, seeing the readings. "Tell me it's not..."

"I'm afraid it is, old friend." Ratchet said. "The Hate Plague."

At the sound of that, all the Autobots froze. Fear was clear on their faces, even Optimus. This was the one thing they all hoped they'd never see again. The humans, though, were confused.

"Umm... what's the hate plague?" Terry asked.

"The Hate Plague..." Optimus started, "It's a dangerous substance. A gas-like substance which, upon contact, turns the victim into overly aggressive, violent being. The one infected with it attacks anything in sight, friend or foe. It, in true meaning of the word, makes one hate anything to the point of losing rationality."

"But, what bothers me is..." Ratchet decided to speak his mind. "How it got here on Earth?"

As Ratchet asked that question, Ironhide and 'Bee entered the base. As the vortex closed, Miko spoke her theory.

"Apparently someone lost a load of it."

"Could the Decepticons have taken some of it with them when they followed you?" Raf asked.

"Impossible." Ironhide spoke, explaining. "The Hate Plague was engineered by the Vok. I saw a lot of our kin turned mad and unleashed upon us. But Megatron had every single bit of that stuff destroyed before The Char Campaign."

"Are you certain, Ironhide?" Optimus asked.

"I was serving under Megatron then. I was entrusted to destroy the last facility. And the Vok, if you recall, always hold on to the pattern: one planet, one project. If compromised, might as well be destroyed."

Optimus and Ratchet eyed the sergeant for a while, thinking at the same time. Finally, they nodded. Ironhide was right about how the Vok used to work. So the question was how did this little bit survive?

"It is best, for now, that the chest remains sealed as to prevent the Plague from infecting anyone on this planet." Optimus said, using the consol and watching the container sealing it. The terror from the past must not infect anyone.

"So, can we continue the party?" Miko asked. Everyone looked at her.

"I believe it is already late. Guardians, take your charges home."

"No need for me." Jack said. "Kelly's out on some medical convention. So I'm alone. Might as well stay here with you guys."

When he said that, the other humans were stunned. "Jacky, why didn't you say you have a free house?" Terry asked.

"Yeah. We can go to your place and party whole night." Miko cheered, earning the muscular teen's look.

"Not my point."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Terry. I don't wanna intrude." Jack excused himself.

"You want to keep working, don't you?" Raf reasoned.

"I believe we can allow you to stay the night at our base." Jazz thought, looking at Optimus.

"Whoa! Hold on!" Miko caught everyone's attention. "Why not let us stay a well?"

Optimus wondered on that one. "If your families have no problem with you overstaying out of your homes, we will allow you." That was enough to make the three kids pull out their phones. It was a good thing Ratchet modified the base's communication panel so the humans could have the signal. It took a while, but finally, all of them got the happily announce they would all spend their first night at the Autobot base. Even more the reason for Miko to PARTY!

But it was cut short. The alarm sounded and Agent Simmons appeared on the screen.

"_Prime. We have a serious operation here in New York._" The special agent informed. "_Normally, the streets are being overrun with psychos and sewer gators. But tonight they decided to vacant the city for you good old friends._"

"Decepticons." Bumblebee murmured.

"Give us more specifics, Simmons." Arcee requested.

"_As you wish, my shining valkyrie. Decepticons clearly took the liking of the prototype energy source- the Dynamic Nuclear Generation System. Agent Fowler, who was ordered to supervise the device, is trying to get the device outta there, but the metallic thieves clearly will not stand down._"

"Send us the coordinates, Agent Simmons." Optimus said. "We will handle the Cons."

"Right now you can get to Central Park. That's where you'll run into Fowler." Simmons instructed, cutting off the communication.

"Did he say Central Park?" Jack asked loudly. The fearful tone got everybot to turn to him and... they found him pale. "My sister's there for the medical convention! Optimus. Let me come with you!" the teen spoke hysterically, being held by the other kids in pace.

Optimus had a sad look, despite the faceplate being in place of a mouth, the way it positioned itself gave the humans the idea. "I am sorry, Jackson. But I fear I cannot take the risk that the Decepticons will try to capture you again. But I will do everything in my power to ensure her safety. That I vow on my spark." Optimus promised, hitting his chest with his fist. Jack was still uneasy, but hearing Optimus say that seemed to calm him down. Even if just a little. Then Arcee walked over to her charge.

"Don't worry, partner. It'll be alright." She said, causing Jack to smile. She smiled back and walked over to the groundbridge. She didn't notice the three, highest ranking 'Bots staring at her.

"Ratchet. Launch the groundbridge." Optimus ordered. The medical officer nodded and pulled the switch, opening the vortex of greenish light. All of the Autobots, aside for Ratchet, stood ready to move. "Autobots!" Optimus spoke, getting everyone's attention. "Transform and roll out!" he ordered, transforming. As the rest of the team transformed, all seven 'Bots rolled out.

No matter how many times Jack, Terry and Raf kept watching their giant metallic friends do that, they were always at awe. And Miko seemed to always expect even more. Speaking of which, the boys saw her racing towards the groundbridge. "Miko!" Jack called to her, storming off to catch her. Raf wanted to go help him, but the tallest of the teens caught him.

"Oh no you don't. We've got enough runaways for one day." Terry commented. The younger boy looked between him and the portal.

And the groundbridge closed.

* * *

**New York, Central Park**

As soon as the Decepticons attacked the secret military base, found thanks to Ravage, a perimeter was set. The streets were unusually empty. But now, Agent Fowler was driving like madman, trying to get away from a group of purple cars, lead by a scarlet-and-silver HMMWV and a customed red sport car of unknown make. Little to say, it wasn't easy. And now he could only turn right, towards Central Park north exit. And that place was crowded with people. He didn't want to make that turn. But another series of shots from Barricade made him take that turn. He only hoped no civilian would get hurt.

He took the turn, only to find a black tank open fire at him. Fowler tried to turn around, but turned so sharply, the van fell and was now sliding towards the military vehicle. The federal agent cursed himself. The facility where the D.Y.N.G.U.S. was being held was supposed to be impossible to find. And yet a Decepticon tracker managed to find the place. They needed to ensure the D.Y.N.G.U.S. was safe from the clutches of the war-loving Cybertronians. However, it was now in their hands, apparently.

A black motorcycle with an aggressive-looking rider jumped on top the van and stood still, until a voice came from the tank. "You have done well, Ravage. Now let us take our prize." Megatron said. The rider suddenly disappeared, allowing the bike to transform into a robot feline. Ravage started to claw its way through the van. Agent Fowler got out with a gun and started shooting at the Con cat, only for his bullets to repel against its armor.

"Well, well." Megatron spoke, transforming. The federal agent turned around just in time to see this and, for once, he was both at awe and fear. Before him stood a 36 foot tall metal giant, all covered in obsidian black armor, with purple lights, including the huge insignia on his chest (but minus for his optics and mouth, which were glowing red). "What do we have here?" Megatron asked rhetorically, as his legs, which were quite large from feet up to his knee joints, carried him. As he stopped, the Decepticon leader aimed his large fusion cannon at the human, charging to fire. Fowler was scared, sweating. But he refused to show it. He did his best not to show he was afraid.

As Megatron was about to fire, Jazz landed on his chest, nearing his face to his. "You still kickin'?" Jazz asked, finally kicking the Decepticon warlord in the face. As the Autobot landed next to the van, the minute Arcee chased Ravage off, Megatron found his footing. Too bad Meg's helmet, which looked a lot like the Decepticon symbol, protected his face. Speaking of which, he snarled. Then his optics focused of the red truck that drove onto the battlefield, transforming.

"Optimus."

"Megatron. Have you truly fallen so low as to attack the humans?" Optimus asked, glaring at the warlord, who merely smiled back.

"You speak as if these humans were something more than insects." Megatron replied with a mocking tone. "It is funny, Prime. Why do you care about these bugs? It's not like you came here for them. You came to this planet simply for their resources to synthesize energon."

"I do not make my goals secret, Megatron." Optimus spoke honestly. "However, it was never my intention to bring them harm. But you are willing to take their lives and, even worst, freedom simply out of your desire."

Megatron laughed, as the other Decepticons transformed, surrounding the Autobots. "Amusing. You talk as if they were our equals. Decepticons! Attack!"

And his army did as he commanded. The Vehicons charged the Autobot team, willing to rip them apart. But the Autobots would not go down so easily. Bumblebee charged to pick up Fowler, while the others opened fire at the enemy. The yellow scout seemed to fall back onto his back, dodging Barricade's blaster shot. But in reality he transformed into his alt mode. He made a round to pick up the federal agent. As the man got in, Bumblebee went full throttle to get the him out of danger. Megatron aimed at the scout, determined to be rid of both the scout and his passenger.

But Arcee engaged him in close combat. Her wrist blade slashed against his armor on the lower torso area. Megatron backed off a bit, before grabbing the femme by the torso. The two glared at each other before they got covered by Vehicon group. Optimus saw this and his optics widened. He looked around to find Ironhide not far from him.

"Ironhide! Megatron's got Arcee!" the Autobot leader pointed at the group. Sergeant looked at it and aimed all of his weaponry at the Vehicons.

"I'll clear the way." He said with a sinister smile. And he opened fire.

* * *

Not far from the battlefield, between the trees, Miko was sneaking her way closer, taking snap shots with her phone. As the Vehicon parts were send blazing and flying, thanks to Ironhide, her eyes widened at awe. "Awesome..." she whispered. She aimed her phone again, ready to take another pic, when she felt a hand on her shoulder turn her around. "Hey!" she complained, glaring at Jack. Then she realized it was him. "Jack? What are you doing here, dude?"

"I'm the one who should be asking you that! What were you thinking?" Jack demanded answer.

"I was thinking how cool it'll be to have some snap-shots of Bulk wrecking some Cons." Miko said in an annoyed fashion. Why couldn't Jack understand she wanted to see the 'Bots in action?

Jack was about to scold her, when they heard another explosion. They looked to see another volley of Vehicon part. The taller teen grabbed the punk girl by the wrist and pulled her out of the way of the incoming parts, shielding her when they hit the ground. The two took a look around, breathing heavily. Then Jack glared at Miko with incredible anger. "Miko! You're truly insane to get into this mess!" he said harshly.

* * *

Hot Ride saw the opening and charged towards Megatron, switching to his vehicle mode and going full throttle. On a way, some Vehicons tried to block him, but he merely rammed them. As he got through, he transformed and tackle the Decepticon lord. Arcee was released, and she took the opportunity to back away. She watched as Megatron caught Hot Ride by the helm and lifted him, before slamming his body against the ground.

"You are quite brave, Autobot." Megatron said, pulling out his mace. "But... also foolish."

"At least... I... have some... pride. It's... called..." Hot Ride started, but Megatron stomped on him.

"I am going to enjoy extinguishing your spark." The black mech smiled, raising his mace. The Autobot eyed him in horror. The mace was falling. Time seemed to slow down. The soldier feared he wouldn't make it out. He would be crushed. He served with his comrades Autobots for years beyond counting. He killed more Cons than he could count. And now... this was the end. At least he would die in the fight, knowing he saved his friend.

But it seemed fate had other plans for him. Optimus parried Megatron's weapon. The two began to fight, allowing Arcee to pick up Hot Ride.

"You okay, partner?" Arcee asked.

Hot Ride chuckled. "So, I'm your partner at last? Won't Jack take the message bad?"

"Well, he's a _junior_ partner. Plus, you've got more to give the Cons to think about." Arcee said smirking.

Little did she know that Jack was nearby. Miko couldn't hear it, but Jack's hearing was far sharper at the moment. He could hear her clearly despite the distance and the fight. Miko didn't understand why, but Jack's face showed anger. "You jealous that your girlfriend already chose another?" she teased. But when he turned to face her, his furious face got her to be quiet. She regretted what she said.

Ravage was dodging Bulkhead's attacks with ease. Then Bulk managed to strike the cat, sending him flying towards the exit. The Decepticon tracker found its footing and transformed, riding out of the park. Bumblebee, who saw that, gave chase. He was not risking the feline planning something. Jazz, after kicking Barricade away, saw the scout.

"'Bee! Leave that pussy cat alone. We've got bigger problem over 'ere!" he ordered via the comm-link.

"Negative. I got this." Bumblebee answered, chasing the black bike through the streets. Luckily, for some reason, Ravage activated his holo-driver. The two were racing down the Broadway, until they reached Grand Central Hotel.

* * *

And Kelly Darby was there, by the entrance, to witness the chase. The young woman, with long black hair, falling down to her shoulders, and ocean blue eyes, was out of the con and at the dinner with some friends who were with her on this trip. Now she wanted to get a rest, lucky that they could spend the time in the city. And in the luxurious hotel. But then she saw a yellow car chasing after a motorcycle. And before she could get out of the bike's way, it jumped onto her, changing into a robot-jaguar with blasters on its hips. Kelly screamed trying to dodge, which she was successful of. Ravage crashed into the wall but quickly recovered. It started to shoot at Bumblebee. The scout, seeing no other way, transformed and aimed. He fired. Ravage swiftly dodged. The two circled each other until the Decepticon hunter opened its mouth and fire a ball of plasma. The scout managed to duck. But he failed to acknowledge the building behind him. And the rubble fell down. When 'Bee turned around, he found a person lying under the rubble.

His optics widened.

And Ravage took the chance to escape.

* * *

Optimus crashed against the trees, electricity running through his body. Megatron walked over towards the Prime, his hands covered in electrical discharge. He laughed, as he was reaching for his prey, which was yet again denied. Jazz and Arcee charged in, forcing the Decepticon to step back. "O.P. You still with us?" Jazz asked.

"I am fine, old friend." Optimus answered. He looked at Megatron, who was now looking around. His Vehicons were defeated and the human device already secured. He snarled, setting the cannon on his back to fire. But so far he was just threatening to use it.

"Decepticons! Fall back!" Megatron ordered. And a groundbridge opened behind him. Without a word, all the Cons ran into the vortex. The 'Bots gathered around the van Fowler drove earlier, as the military secured the area.

"They caused quite a mess. Hopefully, Agent Simmons will be able to take care of any video footage from traffic cams and internet." Agent Fowler said. "As for the people who could see anything? Well, that'll be a bit harder, but I think we can persuade them."

"See to it, Agent Fowler." Optimus spoke. "But also stay vigilant. For if Megatron has decided to strike in the open once, I fear he will not hesitate to do so again. We came here in hopes to return with the means of winning the Great War and liberating our world. Yet in our desperation, not only did we bring our conflict to Earth. We endangered your kind. We Autobots must ensure no harm will come to any human."

"Agent Fowler." One of the soldiers approached the federal agent with a clipboard. "The D.Y.N.G.U.S. is secured. It suffered no damage despite what happened. But there were human casualties."

"May I see it?" a young male voice caught everyone's attention. The 'Bots and humans turned to find Jack and Miko running over.

"Jack?" Arcee asked with a questioning look. Then she narrowed her brow-plates. "What are y...?"

"My sister's in the city! Let me see the list!" Jack said harshly. Not only did it silence his guardian, but also had Fowler agree.

"Just calm down, son. What's her name?" the African American asked, running through the list.

"Kelly Darby." Jack said.

Miko made a ridiculous face. "Dude. The fight was here. What are the chances...?"

"You're not gonna like this." Fowler said, silencing everyone. "A Con identified as 'Ravage' caused a part of Grand Central Hotel to collapse. She was under the rubble. Suffered some serious injuries and is now in the coma." He said. Jack's face could show only one thing.

Horror.

"Where did they take her?" he said loudly.

"Calm down, Jack. She's..."

"WHERE IS SHE?!" he shouted, with a psychotic look in his eyes. Fearing the boy might do something irrational, Fowler sighed.

"Mt Sinai Hospital." He answered. The teen walked away. He wanted to see his sister.

"Jackson. Calm down. Your family is..." Optimus started, but Jack interrupted him.

"She's the only family I have left, Prime!" He shouted. Aside from Arcee, the other 'Bots, and Miko, were shocked. "And I CAN'T lose her too." He continued with a sad tone, before continuing walking.

"Jazz. Take the boy there." Optimus asked. And the cyber-ninja rolled over to the teen in his alt mode.

"No thanks. I'll walk. I really need a rest from you guys." He said. But what Jack said didn't go well with a certain femme.

"And what if the Cons come back and attack you?" she asked. "You can't take them on."

"Your right I can't!" he answered. "I don't have anything to give them to think about."

"I refuse to let my partner be ambushed." Arcee insisted.

Jack turned with a angry face to her. "Hot Ride's your partner! NOT ME!"

Hearing that made Arcee freeze. Before she could explain herself, Jack shot off. "Just leave me alone already!" he cried.

"Jack!" Miko shouted, only to be stopped by Jazz.

"Let him go, Miko!" he said.

"But..."

"Jack needs time. And his sis to feel better." Jazz said, looking in the direction Jack ran off to. Then he looked at Optimus, who nodded. He activated his comm-link. "Ratchet. Open the groundbridge."

And the vortex opened. The 'Bots slowly, with their morale dropped, walked through.

* * *

It was unusually quiet in the base. The Autobots were saddened by the fact that quit the team, again. They were also sad that because of them, his sister, Kelly, got injured. Even Miko was unusually quiet. Normally, she would at least make some comment, but not this time. She was reckless and cocky. But not a jerk. Raf and Ratchet were more focused on why the Decepticons wanted that prototype. It was nothing in comparison to the power source stolen from that facility in Nevada Forest.

"Can't believe how things turned around." Bumblebee cursed under his breath. "It's all my fault. I... should've listened to Jazz when he ordered me not to chase that cat."

"You couldn't have known." Ironhide said. "Ravage could still harm someone on the run." He said, more from experience than one would suspect.

"But why the D.Y.N.G.U.S.?" Arcee asked.

"Maybe you could tell us." Ratchet said with a hostile tone. That caught most of the base occupants surprised.

"W-wha...? Why would I know?" Arcee asked, backing away, slowly.

"Because you must be the spy. Back when they captured Jack, Genocide beat you up, not destroyed you. And that's what he usually does. Then there's the M.E.C.H. incident. You were there to secure the cubes. Only you could give the missing one away. And Knockout's presence at the race Jack attended to... he was informed of it. And you were the only one out of our communication range by the time." Ratchet reasoned. Arcee was shocked by the accusations by on guard. But was quickly caught by Ironhide.

"L-let me go!" the femme demanded. "I'm not the traitor."

"Prove it." Ratchet demanded.

"How?"

"Tell us what you know."

"How can I tell you something I don't know."

"But Arcee can't be a spy. Can she?" Bulkhead asked.

"I don't know. Ratchet did make a lot of good points." Bumblebee reasoned.

"And here I thought I would be accused." Ironhide said.

The whole base broke into a loud chaos of argument. It wasn't long before the 'Bots started accusing each other. Finally, their Prime stated that was enough.

"Silence!" he ordered. And Silence fell. "Fighting amongst ourselves will not solve anything. Our friend Jackson is suffering a great pain. And we have a spy in our ranks. We must determine who the spy..." he paused when the main screen started to flash some data. This confused everyone. "Ratchet? What is happening?"

"I-I don't know..." The medical officer said. And before anything was said, the groundbridge opened. And an army of Decepticons stormed in.

"Decepticons! Autobots! Defend the base!" Jazz ordered, pulling out his blade and cutting down the first Vehicon. Unluckily, the fight was already lost. They all got overwhelmed. Megatron walked in, his hands behind his back. He eyed the place with a faked curiosity.

"So, this is where the magic happens." He said. Then motioned to the Seekers. "Place the explosives." He ordered, as he and the Vehicons entered the vortex with their prisoners. Both Autobots and humans.

The Seekers were laughing as they were planting the explosives. By the console on which Ratchet spend most of his days working. In the human section, build by the kids so they had their private area. The energon storage room, which would ensure the explosion obliterated the place. Finally, once they were done, they entered the groundbridge, having seconds left.

And the base exploded.

Not far from Mount Rushmore, people could see a cloud smoke and blaze, followed by a loud thunder.

* * *

**Remote location**

The Autobots were on their knees. Bulkhead and Bumblebee looked at Barricade, who had the three kids in a glass container next to him. The Vehicons surrounded them, fighting the urge to shoot them. Finally, a drop ship arrived and Megatron, with his second-in-command, Starscream, and the bodyguard, Genocide, arrived. He looked around, smiling.

Finally, he caught the Last of the primes and his team.

"Well, well. Looks like fate favors me, Prime." He said in a mocking tone.

"You will not get away with this, Megatron." Optimus said.

"First we get you. Then we get the traitor. So you can tell Arcee to stop acting." Ratchet spoke harshly, glaring at the femme.

Megatron gave an amused look. "Arcee? Why would I tell her that? Anyway, you have served me well, Sideswipe."

The sound of the deactivated handcuffs echoed throughout the room. And the 'Bot stood up, walking towards his lord and master. The others, especially the kids, were shocked to learn the truth like that.

"Or should I say..."

The mech stopped, before Megatron Absolute, kneeling. He could finally reveal his true colors. A smile came to his face, as Megatron pressed his hand against his insignia. In the hiss, it turned from that of the Autobot to Decepticon.

"Hot Ride." Megatron said, chuckling.

"All hail Megatron." Hot Ride, or rather Sideswipe, said proudly, before facing the Autobots. He smiled, glaring at Optimus.

Victory was Decepticons'.

**To be continued...**

* * *

**A.N.: So, whaddaya think? Now we know who Sideswipe is. Shocker. Also, as far as I plan, we're halfway through season one. After this multiparter, we'll have more M.E.C.H. and don't worry. I'm not killing Kelly. Not yet anyway. Now you'll have to wait to see what happens the next chapter. Please review. And I remind you of the challange in chapter 6. Also, I'm considering a crossover with some other story. If anyone's interested, PM me. But no promises just yet, to be fair. Cya, amigos.**


	15. 14 Sideswipe- part 2

**-14-**

**Sideswipe**

**-Part 2-**

Crystal City. One of the most beautiful cities on Cybertron. Popably the only one to maintain its glory since the Golden Age of Cybertron. The spires so tall they disappeared in the clouds. The structures made of brilliant crystals. It was the capital of beauty, art, philosophy and science. A metropolis raised during the reign of The Prime Council, the 8 original Primes to lead the people of Cybertron. The city of eternity.

But that changed with the Great War. Megatron, who entitled himself Absolute, as in one who holds absolute rule over all Cybertronians, in contrast to Prime, the one who 'leads and guides', just conquered Kaon. And named it the capital of his race- the Decepticons. Now his army, under the command of his second-in-command, Ironhide, marched towards the city, fighting anyone to resist them. A group of brave Autobots was doing its best to repel the attackers, but they were losing.

A green aircraft, resembling a Bell Boeing V-22, maneuvered between the buildings, avoid the blaster shots from the fighters chasing him. Finally it launched two missiles at the building in front of it, causing it to collapse. It accelerated. And as it entered the structure, it transformed into a land vehicle. A racing car to be more precise. As the fighters got crashed the green car raced through the corridors, avoiding anything that was falling on him. The building finally collapsed and there was nothing but a huge cloud. Nothing could've survived that.

Fortunately, the racing vehicle was fast enough to avoid its doom. And now it raced towards the blazing barricade in the distance, leaving the dust in its trial.

As it came close, the car transformed into a tall, bulky Autobot with a trident-like helmet. He ran through the rest of the way, firing at any Decepticon flyer he saw. And finally he reached his destination. He stopped by two other Autobots. One of them was a tall, yet lean warrior. He had a blood red armor on his torso, hips, tights and arms. But pitch black helmet, hand and legs. It was Sideswipe. Next to him, stood an Autobot with similar look. Aside for U-shaped helmet, the only physical difference was yellow color where Sideswipe was red.

"Sideswipe. Sunstreaker. It's been too long, femmes." The green Autobot joked, taking cover.

"Springer!" Sunstreaker cheered. "Mech, am I glad ta cya! 'tis joker's been tryin' ta have us killed, mech!"

"Hey! It's not my fault the Decepticons outnumber us 30 to 1, brother!" Sideswipe defended himself, slapping the yellow Autobot in the back of his helm.

"Knock it off, you two!" Springer demanded. "There are hundreds of Decepticons out there and I, for one, wanna see a certain pink femme again!" he recalled his departure with Arcee. He liked her, a lot. They used to date. But after the civil war started, he ruined everything. He became more violent. Angry. He focused much more on the war at hand. Because of that his and Arcee's relationship broke. But as he got assigned to Crystal City, he promised to himself that, if she didn't find a new mech, he would talk with her. Talk things out.

Another explosion got their attention. The three looked to find the barricade destroyed. They looked into the distance to find Ironhide smiling at them.

"Heeeeere's grenade!" he said, as the Vehicon next to him threw the explosive in their direction. The three 'Bots looked at each other before racing away with the others. There was an explosion. One strong enough to throw them away. The Trio felt pain all over. Sideswipe lifted his head and looked around, only to see a shocking few.

"Sunstreaker?!" he panicked. For his brother was badly damaged. His chest was ripped, exposing his spark. A small, blazing orb of energy, which was the soul, the heart, the essence of every Cybertronian- both Autobot and Decepticon. Sunstreaker's optics were sparking, as he raised his damaged servo to his brother.

"S-Side...swipe...? Is-s... t-t-t-tha-a-a-a-at you?" Sunstreaker asked quietly.

"Hang on, brother. The reinforcement's on its way." Sideswipe said. "They'll be here to patch you up." He said.

Then every Autobot heard a message. "/This is Hound. I give you a message. Sentinel is now a Prime. I repeat: Sentinel Prime leads our forces. All Autobots heading towards Crystal City are to return to Decagon. As for you, brave defenders of the Crystal City... Primus be with you!/"

The communication ended.

"Are they kidding?!" Sideswipe roared. "With the reinforcements, we can defend the city! Has Sentinel forgotten what's in the city?!"

"Sideswipe. Calm. Down." Springer tried to persuade him.

"Slag it, Springer! I am not having Sunstreaker die out here because our new Prime is also a coward! You he...!"

Sideswipe never got to finish. A strange sensation stopped him. It froze him. He hesitantly turned his head to look at Sunstreaker. Half his head was shot off.

"SUNSTREAKEEEEER!"

* * *

**Twelve cycles later**

The Autobots were standing in line. All of them cuffed and on their knees. But only Sideswipe had his head down. He just lost his brother. He felt miserable. He wished he was killed too.

A sight got everyone's attention. It was a mobile platform. And on it a black artillery cannon. The escort was that of many Vehicons, Straxus and Soundwave. Once the platform stopped, the cannon transformed into the leader of the Decepticons- Megatron. He got off the platform and approached the captured Autobots. He smiled at the sight. The sight of defeated Autobots. Then looked at his SIC.

"You left these many Autobots alive, Ironhide?" Megatron asked. Then pointed his fusion cannon at the blue armored Autobot with a red face shot him. "Far too many."

"It is still barely a third of the forces that fought us, Lord Megatron." The red-and-gray Cybertronian said. "The rest is all wiped out."

"Well done, commander." The Decepticon Lord praised, turning to the prisoners. He walked around them, until he caught Springer by the collar. "Tell me, Autobot. How does it feel to serve a coward?" he mocked, before throwing him back to the ground. Then turned to Soundwave, who's chest-screen and visor were projecting a mass of data. "Soundwave. Report."

"Progress: All data files, blueprints and projects, encryptions downloaded. Reporting: No data on artifact's current location." The communication officer reported. Megatron did not take the news well and blasted one of the nearby drones. Then calmed down.

"Go through the data again. Then send it to Tyrantulas and Shockwave. I want the useful prints modified to fit our purpose. And then I shall see the Autobots destroyed." He commanded.

"Don't bother." A voice said, getting the Decepticons' attention. They all turned to Sideswipe. "It's all junk." He said.

Megatron snarled and kicked him. "Be silent, Autobot!" he demanded.

Sideswipe sparked a bit, spitting oil and leaking energon from his wounds. But he chuckled. "Like I said, every data you find here is worthless." He commented. Megatron growled and approached him. Then pressed his fusion cannon against his helmet. "What if..." he continued, with a calm tone, smiling. "...I know of the one thing truly worth here. The ONLY thing worth of your attention."

Megatron pulled his cannon away. What he heard perked his interest. "Explain..."

"Sideswipe! What are you doing?" Springer asked in panic.

"Repaying the favor." The red Autobot answered. Then turned to Megatron with the smile.

* * *

**Later**

The group entered the only platinum hall of the sphere-like structure. It was a long walk, passing the statues of greatest thinkers of the planet. At the end, a great, golden gate. Megatron smiled insanely. He turned to the Vehicons guarding Sideswipe and gestured them to release him. They removed the cuffs, but still kept him under watch. The soldier approached the door and began to input the code. It was taking quite the time.

"Lord Megatron. Why not have Soundwave hack the console or me blast the door?" Ironhide asked.

"This vault was built by The Prime Council. Even after millions of years it could take too long." Megatron explained. He seemed ready to continue, when a hiss got their attention. They watched as the doors opened. It looked as if they were transforming at first. Then as if they were melting. But finally they opened, revealing a dark room. Inside was one thing on a pedestal in the middle of the room in the pillar of light.

"I present you, Lord Megatron, the thing that was supposedly moved." Sideswipe said, bowing. "The weapon made by Megatronus Prime himself. The Requiem Blaster."

The view of the weapon was astounding. It was a silver rifle-like weapon, which looked more like an oversized gun. Its barrel resembled a tank rifle. Runes covered it build. Megatron approached the pedestal, looking over the carvings on the walls, presenting a mech with a total of eight fingers, thumbs included, and four long horns- Megatronus Prime. The Decepticon Lord took the Blaster into his hands and examined it.

"Soundwave. Contact Tyrantulas. Tell him we got The Requiem Blaster, at along last." Megatron ordered.

"Negative. Tyrantulas lab breached." He explained. Megatron growled.

"Then get me Shockwave! I want this artifact modified immediately!" he roared. Then turned to Sideswipe. "As for you... Tell me why I shouldn't rip your spark chamber out and crush it."

"For as far as I know, Lord Megatron, you could use some audio receivers in the Autobot ranks." The red mech answered. "Since no Con was able to infiltrate their ranks, how about someone willing to serve you?"

Megatron eyed the Autobot suspiciously, yet with interest. He approached him. "And why would you betray your kin? Your Prime?"

"Because Sentinel killed my brother. So why not repay him?" Sideswipe showed anger. That caused Megatron to smile.

* * *

**Three weeks later**

Megatron entered his throne room, now having The Requiem Blaster installed to his back. He walked through the room, until he reached his throne. Upon sitting on it, he eyed a mech with a scarlet paintjob. "You know your mission. Sideswipe. Infiltrate the Autobot ranks and contact me of anything of great importance. Strategies, operations, research, anything." He commanded. As Sideswipe stood up, presenting his new armor and appearance, Megatron had one more thing to say. "One more thing. For the sake of this mission, you shall go about by a new designation."

Sideswipe looked around, before nodding. "How about... Hot Rod?" Barricade suggested. "Matches the color."

"Nah. Too obvious. I'll stick to... Hot Ride." The newly recruited spy said.

"Very well, Hot Ride. Now go. For glory. Decepticons. Transform and rise up!" he ordered. And Hot Ride, along with a few flyers left Kaon, soon to simulate the chase. As the group reached the borders, Hot Ride was saved by the Autobots. He claimed to be held prisoner in Kaon when he refused to join Megatron's forces. Once cleared for duty, his mission began.

* * *

**Today...**

Sideswipe's optics were focused on the Autobots. When Arcee asked why, he told them his story. Right from the start to the very end. Ironhide wished he could slap himself for not recognizing him. Then again, he last he saw Sideswipe was after the Crystal City has fallen. So he never knew about the modification to his body. Arcee was glaring at her 'friend'. She was angry at him for betraying and deceiving them. But she also felt sadness. Sentinel Prime was also to blame when he ordered the reinforcement withdrawn. Ratchet wasn't so understanding though. Him, Bulkhead and Bumblebee wished they could get a piece of him right now. Optimus, however, was calm as always. He looked at the kids, to find them angry and upset. Then at Sideswipe, who was glaring back at him.

The eye contact seized when the Vehicons laid the findings before their lord. First was Teletraan I. The cables were still sparking from being ripped. Then was the damaged cube, recovered from the M.E.C.H. incident. Next was Jack's bike with the engine. Megatron looked at it in confusion at first. But decided to leave the questions for later. Then was the chest. Barricade and Knockout glared at it.

"That's the chest we found back in the dessert." Knockout spoke.

"No. Really?" Barricade commented with sarcasm. "Yet Barricade sees the 'Bots failed to open it... Or not." He corrected himself upon seeing the melted metal. The Autobots sealed the chest.

"Well then, let's just open it up." Starscream commanded.

"Patience, Starscream." Megatron said. "Whatever's in there must be of great power to have the Autobots seal it shut."

"I wouldn't recommend opening it, Lord Megatron." Sideswipe spoke. "It contains the Hate Plague."

"The Hate Plague?" Megatron's optics widened, as if in horror. "It can't be."

"Well that's just brilliant." The leader of the Seekers spoke. "We can take it and use it for our weaponry."

"No, Starscream! I want this... this... thing sealed off. I have seen what it can do. I will not dare mess with it unless in a secure and isolated location." He ordered.

"What's the matter, dearest lord? Afraid of a little gas?" Starscream mocked the warlord, only to get slammed into a concrete wall.

"You haven't seen what The Hate Plague can do, Starscream! I did! And I'd be a fool to be reckless with it!" he scolded his SIC. Then he turned to his spy with a smile. "You proofed your loyalty again and again, Sideswipe. You have not only retrieved the supercomputer stolen from us by the Autobots. You have delivered us something that will end this war."

"Anything to please you, my Lord." Sideswipe bowed.

"Sideswipe." Optimus spoke, getting the mech's attention. "It's not too late. You can still redeem yourself."

But the Prime's pleads fell on death ears. "Be silent, Prime!" Sideswipe growled, kicking Optimus in the face and sending the red-and-blue robot on the floor.

"How dare you..." Arcee snarled.

"Easy, 'Cee." Jazz tried to calm her, while working on the lock of his cuffs.

"I dared the same as Sentinel dared to call off that support. If they were to arrive, then we could've defended the city and my brother would live." The traitor said, pointing his blasters at her. "Instead, he betrayed us! So don't you DARE JUDGE ME!"

"Calm down, Sideswipe." Megatron said. "You shall have your chance to end an Autobot life."

"Forgive me, Lord Megatron. But this is the one time when I refuse to listen." Sideswipe pushed Megatron's hand off and aimed at the Autobots. "I would very much like to finish with you, femme. Then again... I'd like to at least injure the Prime before my master gets to rip him to scrap."

He walked over to Optimus, taking aim and charging his weapons.

"NO!" Raf cried.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU JERK!" Miko shouted.

"DON'T DO THIS, HOT RIDE!" Terry pleaded.

"My Lord. Aren't you going to punish him for this insolence?" Starscream asked, only causing Megatron to chuckle.

"Sideswipe has proofed his loyalty more times than you ever could, Starscream. The moment he brought me The Requiem Blaster, which is now installed to my back, I already gained the greatest of my soldiers. Unlike some." Megatron declared, glaring at Ironhide.

"Sideswipe... don't..." Optimus asked, back on his knees.

"I would prefer extinguish Sentinel's spark right now." the spy confessed. "But causing you great pain will have to suffice." He aimed at the chest. The 'Bots' and humans' eyes widened in horror. Everyone wanted to beg him not to pull the trigger. But they knew he wouldn't listen. He was going to do it. Megatron smiled at the sight. The Prime lost.

Sideswipe pulled the trigger.

The sound of the shooting blaster echoed throughout the place.

The Autobots had their optics shut. When they came online, what they saw shocked them.

Megatron got shot.

"W-what...?" Starscream, in his confusion, failed to see Sideswipe dashing at him to deliver a powerful punch. Afterwards, he started to shoot at the other Vehicons. Meanwhile Jazz, who finally freed himself, pulled out his knife and started to free the others.

"Sides! We're free! Get the kids!" Jazz ordered. The spy turned to find the kids on the far side of the hall. He saluted and raced towards them.

Optimus stretched his servos. "I will take care of Megatron. The Requiem Blaster must be taken from him at all cost." He declared, dashing towards the now standing black figure. Megatron snarled before seeing the Prime right before him. The Absolute raised his servo to catch the Prime's fist. And the two wrestled.

"Very clever, Prime. How did you turn my spy against me?" Megatron asked.

"That is not for you to know, Megatron." Optimus answered, before kneeling the Decepticon warlord in the side. Then freed his one hand and delivered a punch to his face. Optimus would have delivered another punch, but was punched back by the Decepticon leader. The Last of the Primes pulled out his axe just in time to block a mace. And the two wrestled again. This time, however, Megatron set The Requiem Blaster. This got Optimus shocked. And the others were busy with their fights.

"At point blank, it'll leave nothing of you, Prime. This is where the Dynasty of Primes ends." Megatron smiled, charging the weapon. Optimus tried to escape, but his opponent was pressing too hard. He could not dodge it. "Farewell, Optimus."

But there was no shot. Only pain.

Megatron roared in pain as the weapon of Megatronus Prime was ripped off his back. The sparks were flying everywhere. The cables were tearing. Pieces of metal falling. And finally, the blaster was ripped off. Sideswipe then kicked Megatron in the side and backed off.

"I got The Requiem Blaster, Optimus. No let's get outta here." He shouted.

"Where are the children?" the Prime asked.

"They're with Ironhide and Bulkhead." He answered, handing the artifact to Optimus. "Now let's roll." He raced. Optimus was about to follow, but got hit with lightening. As he was confused, Megatron took the opportunity and shot him in the leg. Optimus fell to the ground, crying in pain. "Optimus!" Sideswipe yelled, running back. But got caught by Genocide, who was covered in scratches. He could only watch.

Megatron approached Optimus, who turned to face him. He reached for his riffle, but the Decepticon leader kicked it out of his servo. Then he crushed Optimus's hand under his foot. "I may have lost the legacy of Megatronus, Optimus. But I still get to kill a third Prime." He smiled, raising his mace. Bumblebee managed to break through the Vehicons and jumped at Megatron. The scout grabbed the mace and ripped it out of the warlord's servo. Then broke it in two. In his frustration... no, anger, Megatron grabbed Bumblebee by the throat and tightened his grip, until sparks started to fly. Finally he threw the yellow Autobot away. Then turned to Optimus, pointing his fusion cannon at his face. "This time, none shall stop me." He smiled, as his weapon charged up. But Sideswipe wouldn't allow it. He manage to head butt the hulking giant in the face, forcing him to release him. Then the spy pulled out his blade and threw it at Megatron. The blade his him in the collar section. In pain, he backed away from Optimus, who took the opportunity and, with his axe, hit Megatron in the chest, causing the obsidian mech to fall. Optimus was pulled out his axe. But before he could do anything, whether to kill Megatron or help him, Genocide rammed him. Then he picked up his master and fast-walked towards the drop ship, roaring.

Optimus pulled himself together. He wanted to capture Megatron, but when he looked around, he found the Autobots starting to lose their advantage. "Autobots. Fall back." He ordered. And all of them, including Sideswipe, transformed and retreated. Megatron, from the drop ship, eyed the traitor.

"No... o-one... b-b-be-tra-ays... me..." he managed to say, before going into stasis.

* * *

**Military base, somewhere in Colorado**

It was a long trip. But Ironhide was surprisingly brilliant enough to call to Special Agent Fowler and call for transport, explaining the destruction of the base. Now the 'Bots and their human friends were in the base in Colorado. Ratchet had a lot of repairing to do. Fortunately, the damage were not that extensive, aside for Bumblebee and Optimus. They suffered the most.

But the physical damage was nothing in comparison to mental.

Sideswipe stayed far from the others, not even bothering to face them. He knew everyone must've been mad with him. Even willing to scrap him. But Jazz and Optimus told everyone to stand down. Fortunately, the kids, Teletraan I, the Cube and the Hate Plague chest were all recovered. But it was but a bonus. The Requiem Blaster was the real prize. With it out of Megatron's hands, the tide of this war could turn in Autobots' favor.

"It's functional. But the modifications... It'll take time before it's useful to us." Ratchet informed, examining the weapon.

"Time is what we have, old friend." Optimus said, standing with the help from Ironhide. "But what truly troubles me is if the team will forgive our brave comrade his sins." He looked at Sideswipe. Everyone did. He wasn't moving still, sitting.

"I say we should scrap him." Arcee said angrily. "He betrayed us."

"I'm with Arcee on this one, Optimus." Bulkhead said. "I mean, look at 'Bee. Ratchet says it'll be months before he can get his voice box repaired. Maybe even years."

"Yet it was thanks to him we could recover The Requiem Blaster." The Autobot leader pointed.

"He was a spy. Spying for the Decepticons. He backstabbed us, Optimus." Arcee shouted.

"As my predecessor betrayed him. But he told me everything." Optimus surprised the femme.

"Optimus, Jazz and I knew." Ratchet said. "Sideswipe told us everything soon after we left New York."

"He told you? And you forgave him?" Ironhide asked in fury.

"I gave him a chance. Like I did for you." Optimus said. Ironhide snorted.

Arcee still seemed furious. She didn't want to do this. But decided to walk over to Sideswipe. She got his attention. Then asked the one question that still bothered her.

"Why exactly did you betray Megatron?"

Sideswipe looked down at first. Then at the children, who seemed to sense it.

"Because... harming the humans was against my pride." He said, looking down again. This surprised the femme. He did it for their human friends? She wanted to be still mad, but couldn't help crack a smile.

A hand got in front of the flame-themed mech. He looked up to find Bumblebee smiling at him. Though Sideswipe was hesitant at first, he accepted it. 'Bee pulled him back on his feet. The others surrounded him, including the children.

"Sideswipe. Welcome back to Team Prime." Jazz said, clapping the spy in the back.

Then 'Swipe raised his servo. "Optimus. I ask for permission to have designation 'Hot Ride' back."

"Permission is not necessary, friend." Optimus said. "But I allow it."

"Thank you, my Prime." He bowed in a respectful manner. Then Sideswipe, that is- Hot Ride got up and looked at Fowler, who was looking at the Autobots from the platform. "But what now? I doubt you have another abandoned missile silo in this country. Even though it's the U.S." he joked.

"Actually, I managed to pull some strings, while Agent Simmons call for favors." Fowler smiled.

* * *

Few days later, the Autobots were all escorted by the military. They were back in Nevada, just 50 miles from Jasper. The sun was real high in the sky, suggesting about noon. After a long ride, they reach a lone rust-red. When they approached it, the rocks began to slide sideways, revealing an entrance. The group drove in, driving through the dark corridors. And finally, after the Autobots stopped and transformed, the lights came on. And what they saw shocked them. This was no ordinary base. It was...

"It can't be." Arcee whispered.

"The Ark." Optimus said, recognizing the golden room.

"Colonel Lennox supervised the transport of the ship back in 1983, two years after your shut down bodies were moved away to area 51 for study. Don't make me remind you how that ended." Fowler spoke. "It was moved here and hidden under this artificially made piece of rock. Seemed like the best way to hide it since no base had enough room for it. But now, I say it's time to give it back." He said.

Optimus turned to the Special Agent. "We are thankful, Agent Fowler. And we thank you for the trust."

"Speaking of trust... any information on Jack?" Arcee kneeled down to Fowler's eye level.

"Sorry, Arcee. We haven't been monitoring the Darbys." He confessed. Arcee got a bit frightened. She wanted to ask Ratchet for a groundbridge, but then remembered the ship didn't had the device. She was left with little choice and dialed the number. She waited for a while.

"/Hello?/" Jack's voice answered.

"Jack? It's Arcee. Is everything alright? How Kelly?" She asked fast. To others' amusement, at the moment she was like a Cybertronian version of Miko.

"/Easy, Arcee. Power down. Kelly's gonna be fine. The injury looks worse on the outside then they really are. She's just going to spent a few days or weeks in bed./" he answered. Arcee sighed in relief before smiling.

"Great news. But, umm... We don't have the groundbridge at the moment, so..."

"/I'm stuck here in New York, aren't I?/" he asked.

"Let's just say... you're going to have to come up with a really good excuse." Arcee said with a nervous smile. "And your bike's a bit... trashed."

"/It's... WHAT? ARCEE! WHEN I GET BACK, YOU AND I WILL GONNA HAVE A SERIOUS TALK!/" he shouted. Somehow, she was worried.

* * *

**Decepticon Island**

Soundwave, Barricade and Genocide, who was still damaged, were standing in front of the VR chamber. They're lord was still being repaired. Unfortunately, some damage were beyond repairs, so Soundwave and Knockout made some modifications to make up for it. But Starscream, as always, tried his pitiful tricks.

"My fellow Decepticons." Speaking of the devil, he entered the room. "Megatron's been in there for days now. Perhaps it is time for a new Absolute to command you?"

"Barricade won't leave Lord Megatron until Barricade sees his body sparkless." The hunter spoke with a deadpan tone. "So leave us already, commander."

Starscream snarled. "LORD! IT! IS! LORD! STARSCREAM! Understand it already! Without Megatron, I am in charge!" he shouted, failing to notice the chamber opening.

"You are in charge of nothing, Starscream." A rusty, yet deep voice spoke behind the Seeker, surprising him. When the Decepticon commander turned around, he found their lord standing. But his appearance changed. His torso was now silver, not obsidian black, though the same build. Also, his helmet no longer resembled the Decepticon insignia. The best way to describe it would be 'a bucket. Also, the final change, was lack of the cannon on his back. In its place was a jetpack.

"...m-my Lord. It is an honour..." Starscream never got to finish, as Megatron slapped him, sending the flyer into the wall. Then he looked at his hands, before curling them into fists.

"The Autobots will pay for this insolence." He murmured. Then shouted: "They. Shall! PAY!" and transformed into a modified Lockheed AC-130-like, jet powered aircraft and stormed out.

Megatron would have the Autobots' sparks for what they have done.

**End**

* * *

**A.N.: So, what do you think? I couldn't come up with a better new alt-mode for Megs, and I didn't want a Cybertronian vehicle. Also, M.E.C.H. gonna take the spotlight for a while now. And yes, the Ark is back. Great, huh? No? You decide. Please let me know what you think. Bye.**

* * *

My cast:

**Megatron Absolute (**from now**)- **Frank Welker

**Springer- **Tim Daly

**Sunstreaker- **Rino Romano


	16. 15 Project: Chimera

**-15-**

**Project: Chimera**

Another thunder. The lab seemed more creepy than a minute ago. The poor guard having the watch on this night could wet his pants. Well, not really. He was just nervous. He wondered about asking for a raise when he was done tonight. After all, Sumdac Tech was one of the richest electronics labs and industrials on the east coast. Yet, he couldn't complain. The pay was good. And it was usually quiet here. There were merely two brake ins, but that was nothing major.

Speaking of break ins- it looked like someone tried their luck again. He just wondered who and how got on the fifteenth floor without activating an alarm. No matter. It would probably be another petty crook. There was no way he would allow whatever secret electronic device thingy be stolen on his watch. He entered the room where he heard the strange sound coming from. And what he saw stunned him. In the laboratory he found a figure, likely a woman, in a metallic suit. Her whole body was covered in electrical discharge. She only held her hand on a computer, yet the monitor was flashing through tones of data. In the same time, some circuit boards were hovering around her. The woman turned to the guard and glared at him.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" the guard asked, pulling out the paralyzer. "Hands in the air!" he called.

Bad call. When she raised her hands, the electricity from the lights struck him like thunder, knocking him cold. The woman smirked, satisfied at her work. She wasn't going to kill him. She had a bigger prize in mind.

* * *

**The Ark**

It's been two weeks since the Autobots recovered The Requiem Blaster. But the old doctor wasn't working on it right now. No, he was working on Bumblebee's voice box. The poor scout was no longer able to speak. It was bad enough it got damaged when he was on a mission to the Sea of Rust, to confirm the location of Tyrantulas's secret facility. Poor Bumblebee, being one of the youngest scouts, fell onto a mine. But the explosion didn't harm his legs as badly as the shrapnel did his head and torso. After recovering him, an Autobot medic tried to repair him, but unfortunately 'Bee's voice box suffered too great. The doctor was unable to fully repair it. Even Ratchet looked into it was wasn't fully able to.

Maybe he'd have more luck if it wasn't for the humans. He came to tolerate them a bit. But they were mostly annoying. And now they were practicing some role for the public play. The Guardians, of course, were around to watch.

"'Tis maiden's heart is honest, my Lord. " Miko followed. "'Tis not the answer to thy question?"

"The answer it is. I fear though whether 'tis thy true love or lust." Jack followed.

"My Lord?"

"A fair maiden are ye. Honest, warm and caring. Yet m'father a nobleman he is. Many tried to betrothed me for his wealth alone. Does the maiden swear, with all her heart, true love and nothing but love?"

"I... I... Oh, stop it, Jack." Miko interrupted. "This is embarrassing. How can people even read this?" she asked, showing the book right before his face.

"It's Shookspeare, Miko." Raf answered, as Jack, in annoyance, got back to his desk. "It's a modern classic."

"Wait until you're old enough, Raf. You'll see that today reading this is different."

"And hard." Jack cut in. "It took me an hour to memorize the lines."

"Yeah. And it takes a month for others to memorize a single scene." The Japanese girl snorted.

"Is it really so bad?" Bulkhead asked, sounding as if crying. "I actually find it sad."

"An yet somewhat romantic." Arcee said. When she saw the look Bumblebee gave her... "What? I always like romance literature. And hearing the kids preparing for the act was actually cute... for humans." She quickly added the last two words.

"Oh, so now we're your pets and entertainment. Nice to know." Jack answered with a sarcastic tone, before turning back to the new bike he was building. Luckily, the engine he designed was saved, but the bike itself was badly damaged. So he got back to it and hardly ever spoke to his guardian. But not because of the bike. For that he merely refused to ride her unless it was to base or home. Arcee did apologize. But Jack was lately in a bad mood. "Now I should..." he thought out loud, looking at the parts lying around.

Arcee reached for the exhaust pipe and hand it to the young super genius. "Maybe you should use this pipe-thingy?" she said.

"You're a motorcycle, Arcee. Shouldn't you know how to build one?" he asked with a chuckle, only to have the femme give him the look.

"You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?" she asked, earning Jack's questioning look.

Hot Ride laughed at that. "You two are a comedy when you talk." He commented.

"I agree with the big guy." Terry joined.

"Well, we are a family." Raf commented.

At the sound of that, Ratchet dropped his tools, getting everyone's attention. "Family? Don't be ridiculous. We are not even the same species."

"Umm... I think you're confusing 'family' with 'being related', Doc Bot." Miko said.

"Familia is a bond." Rafael said. "When the group understands one another. Support each other. Where you feel you belong."

"Yes, yes. Very nice. Very nice." Ratchet said with no interest, returning to work. Terry crossed his arms, glaring at the medic.

"Sometimes I think Ratchet wouldn't mind if we got hurt by the Deceptifilth." The African American teen said.

"I beg your pardon?" Ratchet turned to face the human at the comment. But was interrupted when the monitor flashed a familiar face.

"_/Prime! We got a situation here!/_" Special Agent William Fowler said.

Optimus seized his work by the monitor to answer the call. "What is the matter, Agent Fowler?" The titan asked.

"_/We just got word of a robbery this night. And Uncle Sam asks you for some help on the matter./_"

"Agent Fowler, puh-lease. I think you are over doing things." Ratchet spoke.

"For once I agree with Ratchet." Bulkhead cut in. "Shouldn't the police investigate a robbery?"

"_/Not if it's Sumdac Tech's lab./_" Fowler said with serious tone. "/_It's no supporter of military, but it is one of the leading technology research companies in the country. And from what the guard testified we concluded the Decepticons may have had a hand in this._/"

"Preposterous. Why would Decepticons bother stealing a primitive tech?" the medical officer asked.

"/_How should I know? Maybe to build a primitive doomsday device? Still, last I checked, humans don't shoot lightening. That's why I'm turning over to you._/"

Optimus was in deep thought. A robber was shooting lightening? As far as he could tell, only Megatron had the ability. But why would he go steal it in person? This case indeed needed investigation. "We shall investigate, Agent Fowler."

The federal agent nodded in gratitude before disappearing off screen. Then the giant turned to face the others.

"*So what's the plan, Optimus?*" Bumblebee asked with the series of bleeps.

Before the Prime would answer, he looked at the children, busy with their activities, aside from Miko who was interested with their objective. "Autobots. Jazz and Ironhide will go investigate." He said.

Arcee seemed surprised by the decision and decided to add her two cents. "Optimus? There are others more qualified for this mission than the sergeant."

"You implying somethin', femme?" the red-and-grey Autobot growled.

"The Guardians will soon have to get the children home." Optimus said. "It is best, for the time being, you stay with them."

The femme got annoyed by the answer. "With all due respect, Optimus. I'm a cyber-ninja and a scout. Baby sitting a snot-nose human brat is not what I should be doing." The moment she was done, there was a loud sound. Everyone turned to find Jack, who stabbed a wrench in the desk, still holding the item in a tight grip. After a second or so, he finally let it go and stood up, turning to Ratchet with a furious face.

"Ratch. Open the groundbridge." He said plainly. "I'll be going home." He said, taking his backpack and notes.

"It's still early, Jack. You sur...?" Arcee got interrupted.

"I'm going on my own, Arcee. Don't bother coming." He said harshly. And Arcee didn't like his tone.

"You're not going anywhere on your own." Arcee said.

"You know, Arcee. After the run in with Airachnid I thought we were finally getting along. But you just said I'm a pain to you." He said with some anger. This got Arcee to step back a bit. "If you dislike me that badly, why do you bother? A mission? Some sense of responsibility? At least say so. But tonight... I don't want you anywhere near my house."

After that little speech, he turned back to the groundbridge and made his way, leaving Arcee with a guilty look on her face. The sound of the opening vortex got her attention. Building the new groundbridge was a bit challenging, but quick. When the teen approached the vortex, Jazz got in the way and stopped Jack.

"Whoa, cowboy." The Autobot SIC said. "I think you're overreacting a bit." The cyber-ninja said softly. He figured that Arcee may have simply got annoyed, not being on a mission for a while and simply had a poor choice of words when expressing her wish to go on this new mission. Anyway, he was certain she didn't mean to insult the teen.

But Jack gave him a painful look. "Remember what I asked you on the plateau, Jazz?"

Jazz got serious. "Do I believe that two broken souls, that lost something dear, can ease each other's pain?"

Hearing that question got Arcee surprised. Did Jack think he could help her deal with the lost of Cliffjumper, while she could help him somehow?

Jack turned to see her. "That's something a family helps with. But apparently, I was wrong about Arcee in the matter. She's just as cold as the day I met her."

He walked into the vortex, not noticing her look. Arcee felt truly hurt. But most of all guilty. Jack came back, at least in part, to help her get through with the pain after losing Cliffjumper. Yet she just made a statement as if all the two have gone through meant nothing. He thought of her as family. Someone he could rely on. And she just looked down on him. She looked down in shame.

"Looks like you're free now, Arcee." Ironhide commented. That made the femme feel even worse.

* * *

**Sumdac Tech lab**

When the team, consisting of Jazz, Ironhide and Arcee, who joined at the last minute, arrived to the place, they found about half of it trashed. Thankfully, Fowler managed to give them a window to do the investigation of their own. The federal agent hoped for the robbery not to be the work of Cons. But still, he wouldn't take the risk. Whatever they could be after, had to be big. The three 'Bots split and searched the place. After nearly an hour, the ex-Con and the female cyber-ninja rendezvoused back in the main hall and were now waiting for the stylish Autobot.

"Arcee to Jazz. How are things at your end?" the white Autobot asked.

"Nothing so far." Jazz reported, crawling through the hall. At some point he froze. Something felt different. He could sense the electricity. He pressed two fingers against the edge of his visor. The bluish glow on the edges of his black shades faded and the whole thing blazed with yellowish light. The Autobot SIC whistled. "Arcee. I don't think it was Megatron who broke in. 'Cause the light-show in this place could bring down the house."

He was about to crawl in deeper, to take a closer look, when something got his attention. A strange buzzing. When he turned around...

ZAP

"Jazz? You alright?" Ironhide asked. All he heard was static. "Jazz? JAZZ?! Answer me you fun-lovin' idiot!" Ironhide snarled. Then showed worry.

* * *

**The Ark, one hour later**

The Autobots were waiting for Ratchet to report on Jazz. When Ironhide and Arcee brought him, the medical officer had no idea what to say. Now he's been at the SIC for a long while and still not saying a word. Still attending to him, mumbling and cursing in cybertronian.

"You think he'll...?" Miko asked with worry.

"*Jazz is one of the stronger 'Bots here.*" Bumblebee bleeped. "*He'll make it.*"

"Bumblebee's right, Miko." Raf, who surprisingly was the only one to understand the scout, said. "Jazz will be fine." His face soon turned gloom. "He has to."

Finally, Ratchet approached the group. His face was grim. "Well, Jazz will recover. I placed him in the CR chamber. But the extent of damage is more serious than I first believed." He said. "It is as if all his circuits have turned against him."

"You mean Jazz went into overdrive?" Miko asked. "Guess Ratch was right when he said the Party-bot would fun himself to death after all."

"No. What I meant was as if someone turned every circuit in his superstructure into a bomb." Ratchet explained, shocking everyone.

"How is that possible?" Optimus asked.

"I have no idea. But we know one thing for sure now. It wasn't the Decepticons."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

The woman was still sitting in her seat, as the technicians were finishing with her suit. She was calm, though smiling in satisfaction after she got the Autobot.

Silas heard all about it. He was glad. Project: Chimera was a success. At least thus far. The head-scientist approached the man. The masked man lifted the clip-board before looking back at his employer. But Silas was the first to speak.

"The project works perfectly. Any side-effects, Professor?" Silas asked, not surprising the scientist.

"Nothing of real concern, Silas." The man now identified as Professor answered. "The suit is integrated with the nervous system, thus allowing to use the suit's power at will. The power is tremendous. She can literally manipulate electricity, magnetism and therefore any kind of machinery. Sum it all and Major Josephine Beller becomes a real... Circuit Breaker."

The leader of M.E.C.H. chuckled. "Circuit Breaker? Has a nice ring to it. But given our alien friends presence on this world I'd like to see that tech in actual combat situation." He smiled, taking out a vial with glowing red substance he later injected himself.

"I shall arrange for such situation, Sir." Professor reassured, making his way. The M.E.C.H. leader nodded. Things have been going smoothly.

* * *

**Jack's garage**

Another unfitting piece. The teen through it away, snarling. He was so angry. He just couldn't stop thinking of how Arcee could say she was babysitting him. He came to think of her as a friend. Even a second big sister at times. And she just said that. He had to take another dose of his pills. What was he doing to have her look down at him like that? She might as well leave him to himself, let the Decepticons or M.E.C.H. get him.

"Now I understand why you had to rush out." A voice got his attention. He turned to find Miko and Terry, the latter getting out of Bulkhead. After the comment, the Japanese girl approached the raven haired teen, who merely scoffed and turned back to the TV or whatever he was working on.

"So this is where you think. Nice." Miko spoke again, with a bigger smile. Terry followed, shaking his head. Couldn't Miko read the atmosphere? "Back in Toyo my parents had me attend music lessons when I was 7. When I was done or upset I would visit my cousin who works as a mangaka. That's how I learned to draw."

"MIKO!" Terry silenced her. Then turned to Jack. "Jacky. I know you must be feeling as if Arcee was disliking you. But... distancing yourself from the others isn't the answer, man."

"I need to calm down first." Jack said in a disturbingly calm manner. "Then I'll think whether or not stay on the team."

"But you can't quit, Jack." Miko shouted. "Not again. For one: you're some super genius the Cons will definitely will hunt down again. Second: being with the Autobots is the coolest thing that ever happened. And finally: I need someone I can beat in video games." As if the second point wasn't insignificant enough, the third caused the two boys to roll their eyes. "But seriously- don't pretend to be normal, Jack. After the 'Bots entered our lives, we can never fit in." she said sadly.

"She has a point, Jacky. Besides, I'm certain Arcee would apologize if she were given the chance. But right now, she's by Jazz's side." That perked Jack's interest. Seeing his eyes caused Terry to explain what they discovered.

* * *

**The Ark**

While most of the team have been busy trying to figure out the thief's identity, Arcee sat by the CR chamber. She kept her mind wandering on Jazz and Jack. For Jazz she was worried. Despite being in the CR chamber, he should be able to speak with the others. The chamber was designed to plug into one's consciousness core processor. However, it seemed no one was home. Then there was Jack. Now that she thought about it, she really did sound like still seeing him for a liability. But was he?

She groaned weakly. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked herself.

"How asking yourself who is he to you?" a voice asked. The femme jumped up in surprise. When she looked around, she found Jazz being conscious. "Hey there, shiny."

"Jazz. You're awake." She smiled.

"Mind keeping that to yourself for now? I can tell your troubled." He said calmly. The femme looked at the older cyber-ninja with sadness. "I'm here to advice you, y'know?"

Arcee was hesitant for a while. She wasn't sure how to start. But she had to start somewhere, so...

"It is about Jack, yes." She started. "It's that... I can't figure out how to talk to him now." She paused. "Did he really come back for my sake?" she asked.

"Jack thought you were in a need of someone who would be open to your problem for more than five clicks, yes." Jazz replied. "He knows what's it like to lose someone dear to him. But his sister doesn't seem to the support he needs, for some reason. We on the other hand don't have the time to mourn our fallen comrades. So I say Jack came back in part to help you deal with the pain. That's my guess anyway."

"That... That is... real noble of him." Arcee said with slight admiration. "But... I'm not sure about that."

"Well, what do you think of him?" Jazz asked, earning a surprised look from her.

"Wh-what I think of...? Well, um... It's not that I dislike him. He's different than any other human we met or worked before. In fact, I am starting to like the time we spend together. And... *sigh* He's proven to be more of a help, no- more of a friend than I could even think."

"Then why did you say being around the kids was like babysitting them?" Jazz asked in absolute confusion.

"Well, I think I was just upset. I felt like being a guardian made me bad in the field." Arcee explained.

"So you just wanted some action?" Arcee nodded. "And why did you think being a member of Guardians was because you're incompetent?" The femme looked at her mentor with a surprised look. He was right. Just because she wasn't in the field in a while, being busy with keeping Jack safe, didn't mean she was looked down at.

Then she looked to the right. "What should I do now about it?"

Jazz just chuckled. "Why ask questions you already have the answers for? Or should I say: Why ask questions you need to answer yourself?" he powered down, leaving Arcee with a confused expression. But then her thoughts were interrupted by another call from Agent Fowler.

"/_Prime! We got a situation here!_/" the federal agent said worryingly. "/_The Hancock Military Base in Dakota is under attack by human lightening or something! And our firearms just don't seem to have any effect!_/"

"/_One more thing, Prime! We identified the enemy! It's M.E.C.H.!_/" Fowler added.

"We shall arrive as soon as possible, Agent Fowler." Optimus responded. When the connection was off, the red-and-blue giant turned to the rest. "Autobots. Prepare to roll out."

"Let's see what the monkey is can do against us." Ironhide laughed.

"Ratchet. We may need your scientific expertise on this one." Optimus reasoned.

"Very well." Ratchet responded. Then Optimus turned towards Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee. You man the groundbridge."

"*Got it.*" the scout responded.

"Can we just get rolling already?" Hot Ride asked with irritation. "I'm fired up for some action over here."

* * *

**Hancock Military Base**

The vortex of green light opened in the very middle of the base. After a few seconds, the giant robots stepped out. The Autobots looked around to find the base... in flames. Most of the hangers and barracks were set on fire. Many tanks, choppers, and even medical vehicles were destroyed. The autonomous robotic organisms felt a bit relieved to find no human bodies in sight, despite the blood stains. But something did disturb them more.

Where is the enemy?

Now that they looked around, they couldn't see anyone. Could they have been too late? No, this must've been a trap. How else to explain it? And it was M.E.C.H. And they were cunning. The Autobots moved slowly and carefully, with their weapons ready. Optimus decided to make a call. "Agent Fowler. We have arrived. But we have made no contact with the enemy. We do not even see any hostiles."

"/_Either hiding like the Red Coat would or fleet./" _Fowler commented._ "/Either way be careful. Better safe than sucker punched._/"

"Will do, Agent Fowler." Optimus confirmed. Then returned to the objective. "Autobots. Form up." He ordered. And the group formed a circle. Then walked toward one of the hangers. Namely hangar E, which was mostly untouched. But as they neared it, Ironhide narrowed his brow-plates. Something was wrong. He gestured the others to stop and approached the hangar entrance himself. He leaned against the wall. Pulled out his shotgun. He had a feeling this was going to be hurtful when he took a look inside.

And he was right. A second later he got hit with a beam of light and sent flying. The 'Bots were shocked at the sight. Their optics focused back at the hangar when they heard a buzzing sound. And they found a woman dressed in a silver-and-cobber-painted exoskeleton, floating good ten feet above the ground. Her strawberry blond hair waved upwards as she looked at them with her ice blue eyes. The 'Bots took their stance, ready for anything. The woman merely floated towards them and stopped about 30 feet away.

"My name is Optimus Prime. Leader of the Autobots." The Last of the Primes started. "Identify yourself."

"Major Josephine Beller. Operative of Mechanics of Evolution and Cybernation of Humanity." The woman spoke. "And I know what you are, machine. Which is why I have called you here."

"You mean you endangered AND hurt the people here JUST to talk to us?!" Arcee asked in anger and disbelieve.

"We couldn't find you in the phonebook." She mocked with a smirk.

Hot Ride seemed ready to charge at her, but was stopped by Optimus. The great leader eyed the human in the armor before asking. "What do you want of us?"

"Your parts." She answered, snapping her fingers.

And much to the Autobots surprise, the two tanks that were left in the base aimed at them and opened fire. The Cybertronians managed to dodge some of the shots, but not all. And Hot Ride was one of the unfortunate ones to get hit. But there was something about the shot. Otherwise it wouldn't have sent him flying. But it did more than that. The Autobot soldier tried to get up, but found himself in pain. He looked at his right side, where he got hit. And his optics widened. There was a huge hole in the armor. And some parts were burning. Ratchet ran over to attend to his damage and was horrified to see this.

"How, by the Matrix, is that possible?" the medic asked. "The human weapons are not strong enough to damage us to that extent."

"Which is why I enhanced them with the energy from my armor, you dumpster." The M.E.C.H. operative said with a smug smile, before gesturing the tanks to continue fire.

Having little choice, the Autobots tried to take cover. But as Ratchet tried to help the soldier get on his feet, he got hit by the lightening Beller projected at him. Ratchet fell on his knees, supporting his weight with his other servo, discovering most circuits in his left side, including his servo, fried.

"You... you fried Jazz's circuitry." Ratchet deducted.

"You mean the one I got yesterday? He put up more of a fight then you did." The human said, zapping the medic again. Ratchet cried in pain, as his optics were flashing.

* * *

**The Ark**

Bumblebee worked by the panel, supervising the CR chamber. Ratchet, before leaving, set the computer to analyze the damage. For what reason, the scout could not understand. Yet he dared not question the doctor, who knew better. Still, from time to time he would approach the groundbridge panel, ready to activate it.

"/_Bulkhead to base. Requesting groundbridge, pronto._/" Bulkhead said through the comm-link. The yellow Autobot input the coordinates and opened the vortex. The green car drove out of the vortex. Before transforming, he waited for three human children to get out. Jack looked around the base.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

Bumblebee bleeped a few times. "'Bee said they're on a mission." Raf translated. Then the scout continued. "M.E.C.H. attacked the military base. It's someone in a power-suit or something."

"You mean some kind of cyborg?" Miko asked in enthusiasm. "And I'm missing in on the action? No fair!"

"/Optimus to Ark! Bumblebee, can you hear me?/" Optimus voice came in. "/Our enemy appears to be armed specifically to fight us. We need back up./"

"'Bee! Open the groundbridge. I'm going in." Bulk said, hitting his fists together. Bumblebee nodded and prepared to activate the bridge, when...

"Not so fast, amigos." Bulkhead and the scout turned to face the owner of the weak voice. To their surprise, it was Jazz. "I'm comin' with." He said, clearly struggling to stand or walk.

"*B-but Jazz... You're still weak. You need to rest.*" Bumblebee said with concern.

"Oh no you don't. I am not resting knowing there's a human with a shiny armor, manipulating electricity, whose out Autobot hunting." Jazz said, before falling to his knees. But what he said caught Jack's interest.

"Did you say the human manipulates electricity? Through a suit?" the raven haired teen asked.

"Got a good look at it." Jazz answered. "That suit was clearly what grants these powers." Jazz was sucker punched, but was able to see the attacker. He even took his time in the CR chamber to analyze the attack. Another feature which proofed his competence as second-in-command despite his care-free attitude. Jack was in deep thoughts about what he heard.

* * *

**Hancock Military Base**

The tanks shot again. They almost hit the target. But Arcee was too agile. She fired back. But her blaster was too weak. Optimus and Hot Ride gave their support, but as soon as they took down one tank, the other was onto them. Then the was Beller. She zapped Hot Ride. But instead of frying him, she was able to control him. It was far harder however then controlling the tanks. She couldn't understand why though. These were machines. She shouldn't have any trouble controlling them. Could it be because they were sentient? No, it did not matter. She would control them one way or another. So she zapped him again. Hot Ride was still resisting. She zapped again. And again. Optimus and Arcee aimed at her. But the femme was forced to dodge the shot from the tank. As for Optimus- his shot was deflected. It shocked Optimus to see how the human swapped away the shot. The Prime was about to try again, but Hot Ride charged at him, shooting. He hit Optimus a few times, pushing him back. Back and out of cover. And the tank hit Optimus in the torso. Arcee saw that and wanted to help, but the tank was now aiming at her. It was about to fire, when it got hit with a missile. Everyone looked in shock to find a smoking form of Ironhide approaching.

"Heh. Still got it." He chuckled. But his action enraged Beller to the point she shot a few electric shots at the sergeant. The big 'Bot cried in pain, struggling to stay on his legs. Finally, with a loud roar, she shot the same beam she hit him earlier. She hit. And this time, Ironhide stayed down, electricity running along his body. She turned her attention back to Hot Ride, forcing him to aim at the femme cyber-ninja and open fire. Arcee managed to dodge every shot, but had no choice but to take cover. She tried to come up with some kind of plan. How to fight her?

"What's wrong, machine?" Beller mocked. "Not so superior now, are you?"

"Arcee! Fall back!" Optimus ordered, trying to get up. The M.E.C.H. operative just zapped him. And went on with it for a while.

"You stay quiet, stupid robot!" she demanded, not stopping. Arcee saw this and was mad. She really wanted to get her hands on the human. But she wasn't foolish enough to just charge at her. She really needed a plan. Some kind of diversion perhaps.

Her prayers must've been heard. The groundbridge opened, drawing her and the human's attention. Bulkhead and Bumblebee emerged, ready to fight.

"Who wants some?" Bulk asked, pulling a mace off his back. Then he and 'Bee charged the human. That's when they stopped. "Whoa! A human?"

Bad call. Beller used the moment of confusion and electrified the green giant, whilst the scout got shot by controlled Hot Ride. But finally, his wounds forced him to collapse. That was enough for Arcee to charge, while the human terrorist was occupied. She charged and leaped, ready to hammer fist her. As she was falling, she was glad the blond woman did not notice her. She managed to hit her, sending her crashing into the asphalt. Beller turned to face her with anger. Arcee was about to grab her, but then her body felt numb. She was confused. What happened? The human somehow managed to drain some of her energy.

"You were close, machine." Beller spoke. "Fortunately for me, I still had a trick up my sleeve. But trust me: you have no hands to save you now." She threatened, as Arcee felt her energy levels drop dangerously low. She fell to her knees. She wanted to grab her. But she had no strength left.

"How about a kid then?" a young voice caught Beller's attention. She turned around and found Jack and Miko standing with an Autobot blaster in their possession. She chuckled.

"Stupid kids." She laughed. "Machines can't hurt me." She focused on the blaster before the teens could pull the trigger. But nothing happened. She tried again. Still nothing. Than Jack gestured Miko to pull the trigger. As she pulled, a tube with a strange fluid shot at the woman, covering her in a strange substance. "What is this?" she snarled.

"Let's see... For one: it isolates your electrical signals." Miko said.

"The Autobots use this form of liquid energon for damaged circuits, temporarily isolating any kind of electrical impulses. In short, you're contained." Jack explained. "The reason you couldn't affect the blaster was because we removed its power source, making it perfectly mechanical. We figured your suit changes electrical impulses into radio-signal. That's how you're able to control other machines."

"You little brats... I'LL KILL YOU!" Beller shouted, as Jazz exited the vortex with a strange device in hand.

"Not on my watch, sugar." The stylish Autobot said, throwing the device at her. The second it hit the ground, just a few feet from her, it let out a powerful shockwave, sending her flying and hitting one of the destroyed tanks, rendering her unconscious. The Autobots looked around. This was one heck of a fight. Jack looked to find Arcee struggling to get up, though she only managed to get on her knees.

"Arcee!" Jack called with concern, running to her.

"Jack?" she was surprised. But also relieved. She feared he left for good. She was glad to be wrong about that.

"Look, I wanted... / Listen, I wish to..." they both said at the same time. Then paused when they realized that.

"Y-you go first, Jack."

"Arcee. I just... wanted to say I'm sorry. It was really... *sigh* immature of me to act like I did." Jack apologized. To that, the femme shook her head, with a gentle smile.

"No, Jack. I'm sorry. I should've been more respectful of you. Meanwhile, I allowed my frustration and wish to be in the field to get the better of me. Worse, I directed it on you. Will you give me another chance?" she asked with a teary look.

Jack looked at her strictly at first, making her feel down. But then smiled at her. "We're a family now, Arcee." He said, surprising the femme. "Of course I'll give you a chance." Arcee smiled at that. "Now get yourself properly attended to. I can't babysit you all the time."

Arcee looked at Jack with surprise. "Excuse me? I am YOUR guardian."

"Yet I'm the one who keeps saving you." Jack talked back. The two got into an argument the other 'Bots, those who were conscious anyway, were watching.

"I saved you as many times as you saved me, partner." Arcee pointed out.

"I'm ahead of you by at least one."

"That's it. When I'm able to move..."

Jazz shook his head, while helping Optimus get on his feet. "Those two get along just fine, don't they?" he joked. Both Optimus and Ratchet chuckled.

"Reminds me of the time we got to know each other, old friend." Ratchet pointed out.

* * *

**M.E.C.H. HQ**

Silas was furious. He got the message about the capture of Major Beller. This was a major failure. Now that the circuit breaker technology was in the Autobot and military's possessions, no doubt they'd develop a counter measure. He ran through the files again. Then his train of thoughts stopped. Professor entered the room.

"Sir? I apologize for interruptions. But I'd like to report on Project: DYNO." The man said. Silas got off his seat and followed the masked man.

"What is the progress, Professor?" he asked, as they exited the room and made their way towards the lab.

"Well, we focused on Unit D-01. Everything appears to be in order. The unit is even operational. But there are some complications."

"Such as?" Silas did not hide his irritation. He did not like hearing the bad news.

"Well, the thing of major concern is that the tech from that cube is more similar to biology than technology. We just can't figure out the 'schematics'. Therefore, the unit has... a limited ability." Professor explained.

Silas was in deep thoughts again. "Then we will have to capture one of our alien friends and see what makes them tick to better understand their workings, Professor." He reasoned, as the two entered the room. The disgraced colonel looked down from the platform and raised an eyebrow. "What's with the theme?"

"The dragons were believe to be mighty beings. Sometimes even mighty enough to rival the gods. And the theme is due to the fact that these beasts could be the source for the mythological beings." Professor reasoned. "Anyway, allow me to introduce you, Mister Silas, Unit D-01." He pointed.

It was a large robot. In appearance it was a T-rex. The head and back of the torso looked a lot like a skull and skeleton. The arms were small, but were actually the machine guns. The legs seemed to be imitating muscles, as those were cables. But then they were armored. Just like the tail. One of its eyes flashed, showing it was online. Then the professor continued.

"Aka... Grimlock." The man said with an ominous tone.

**END**

* * *

**A.N.: Another chapter. So what do you think. Good? Bad? No say? Let me know. Anyway... the next chapter will also have M.E.C.H. I did warn you they'll take the spotlight. But the Decepticons will also have a roll in the next chapter. Please review or give me some suggestions. Thank you in advance. And also, I'd like to thank for the support so far. I hope you'll stay to know where's this fic heading to. Till next time.**


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